Mumbai, Jan 17: India’s largest bank by market capitalisation, HDFC Bank, on Saturday reported a 12.17 per cent rise year-on-year in net profit for the December quarter of the current financial year (Q3 FY26).

The bank’s consolidated net profit increased to Rs 19,806.63 crore in Q3, compared to Rs 17,656.61 crore in the same quarter last financial year (Q3 FY25).

The bank’s core income also showed steady growth during the quarter. Net interest income rose 6.4 per cent year-on-year to Rs 32,615 crore from Rs 30,653 crore in year-ago period.

HDFC Bank said its core net interest margin stood at 3.35 per cent on total assets and 3.51 per cent based on interest-earning assets.

Operating profit before provisions and contingencies grew 8.4 per cent to Rs 27,097.80 crore from Rs 25,000.40 crore in the year-ago period.

Provisions for the quarter declined by 10 per cent to Rs 2,837.9 crore, compared with Rs 3,153.85 crore in the same quarter last financial year.

On the asset quality front, the bank reported mixed trends. Gross non-performing assets declined 2.3 per cent YoY to Rs 35,178.98 crore from Rs 36,018.58 crore.

However, net NPAs rose marginally by 3.4 per cent to Rs 11,981.75 crore from Rs 11,587.54 crore a year ago.

The ratio of gross NPAs to gross advances improved to 1.24 per cent from 1.42 per cent, while net NPAs as a percentage of net advances stood at 0.42 per cent compared to 0.46 per cent last year.

According to the bank’s exchange filing, HDFC Bank’s total balance sheet size stood at Rs 40,890 billion as of December 31, 2025, up from Rs 37,590 billion a year earlier.

Average deposits grew 12.2 per cent year-on-year to Rs 27,524 billion, while CASA deposits increased by 9.9 per cent to Rs 8,984 billion.

The bank’s lending book also expanded steadily. Gross advances rose 11.9 per cent year-on-year to Rs 28,446 billion as of December 31, 2025.

Mumbai, Jan 17: The Indian equity benchmarks closed this week almost unchanged amid optimism towards Q3 earnings and renewed India-US trade discussions, even as caution persisted due to increasing geopolitical tensions.

Profit-booking in pharma, consumer durables, and autos weighed on indices during the week, while PSU banks and metals outperformed.

Nifty added 0.04 per cent during the week and 0.11 per cent on the last trading day, to touch 25,694. At close, the Sensex was up 187 points or 0.23 per cent on the last trading day at 83,570. It dipped 0.01 per cent during the week.

Analysts said investors focused on Q3 earnings, where IT and bank numbers provided a layer of confidence on growth and demand. The prolonged geopolitical tensions made FIIs risk-averse in emerging markets and raised bond yields.

On the earnings front, the IT sector gained attention after the industry’s bellwether revised its revenue guidance upward, while the broader IT space reported better-than-expected earnings growth.

The banking sector also showed encouraging trends, with early results showing continued improvement in asset quality and better earnings performance.

Collectively, these trends set a constructive tone for the Q3 FY26 season and continue to strengthen investor confidence in domestic earnings recovery, an analyst said.

Bank Nifty posted a confident close, forming a bullish candlestick, while the RSI (Relative Strength Index) confirmed strength with a bullish crossover and is currently placed near 61.

Broader indices outperformed the benchmark indices during the week, with the Nifty Midcap 100 up 0.20 per cent, while Nifty Smallcap 100 advanced 0.46 per cent.

Investors remain focused on the US Supreme Court’s verdict on the legality of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs which is expected soon, but timeline is not certain.

They also keep an eye on key global macro indicators, including US PCE inflation and GDP prints, which will offer cues on the Federal Reserve’s rate outlook.

Mumbai, Jan 16: The Indian equity markets ended marginally higher on Friday, before surrendering most of their intra-day gains in the afternoon session.

At the closing bell, the Sensex added 187 points, or 0.23 per cent to settle at 83,570. The Nifty advanced 28 points, or 0.11 per cent, to close at 25,694.

The broader markets performed in line with the benchmark indices, as Nifty Midcap 100 index lost 0.07 per cent, while the NSE Smallcap 100 declined 0.34 per cent.

The benchmark Nifty opened on a muted note at 25,696, advanced to an intra-day high of 25,873 driven by a rally in IT stocks amid stronger-than-expected December quarter results. Nifty, however failed to sustain higher levels and eventually slipped to an intraday low of 25,662, reflecting profit-taking at elevated levels.

On the sectoral front, IT, realty and banking stocks outperformed. Nifty IT was the top gainer, up 3.34 per cent. Nifty Pharma and consumer durables slipped 1.30 per cent and 1.15 per cent, respectively.

The Nifty Bank index also surged around 0.84 per cent, inching up to 60,082 closer to setting a new record high mark.

Analysts said the IT sector outperformed, supported by an upward revision in revenue growth projections from a leading industry bellwether, coupled with expectations of increased technology spending.

Meanwhile, investor focus also shifted to banking counters, as early results reflected notable improvements in asset quality and margin profiles, further strengthening sentiment in the sector.

In the derivatives segment, market breadth remained marginally positive, with 131 stocks advancing against 82 declines.

Analysts predict that better-than-expected results in Q3 FY26 could trigger stock-specific action but foreign institutional selling is expected to continue in the near term.