Research Analysts at Citigroup and Morgan Stanley are having a tug of war when it comes to Index Heavyweight State Bank of India. Morgan Stanley Downgraded the bank to Underweight [If you follow their MCSI, then you have to SELL the stock] while, Citigroup lowered the price target but still retained a BUY on the stock.
SBI reported a 21% sequential increase in NPLs. This was driven by higher agricultural NPLs (farmers stopped coming to branches to repay, after the debt waiver scheme announced by government – according to management). The other driver for higher NPLs is SME/ SSI – a sector witnessing some stress. Given that these remain focus areas for growth, we expect an NPL increase as we move forward. Moreover, with NPL coverage of 42%, credit costs could rise significantly. (more…)