Mumbai, June 13, 2026, 02:32 IST
- Axis Bank shares finished 2.97% higher at ₹1,356.30 on the NSE. Trading volume was 8.54 million shares.
- Shares now sit under 5% from the 52-week high of ₹1,418.30. Fresh earnings will matter if the stock is going to move higher.
- Next up is the June-quarter earnings cycle. Investors are focused on net interest margin, credit costs, deposit growth, and any capital raising updates.
Axis Bank Ltd. closed higher Friday, leading gains among Indian banking names in a broad market up move. Shares ended at ₹1,356.30 on the NSE, rising ₹39.00 or 2.97%. Trading ranged between ₹1,318.50 and ₹1,358.50, with 8,535,670 shares changing hands according to Moneycontrol. On the BSE, Axis settled at ₹1,355.55, up 2.92%.
Axis Bank’s stock moved close to a one-year high, with the shift coming as Indian equities rallied. Reuters said the Nifty 50 climbed 1.99% to 23,622.90, while the BSE Sensex advanced 2.3% to 75,527.95. Global gains and a 4% drop in Brent crude to about $87 a barrel drove the session. Lower oil prices often lift the mood in India, which relies on imports for much of its crude. Cheaper oil can impact inflation, the rupee and foreign fund flows.
Financial stocks got a lift after the Reserve Bank of India moved to relax overseas borrowing rules for banks. Reuters said this week that banks can now raise overseas foreign-currency borrowings for at least three years at concessional swap rates, meant to boost dollar inflows and take some pressure off the rupee. The swap rate is the cost to switch foreign-currency borrowings into rupees. Lower rates help banks with liquidity and funding options.
Axis Bank’s operating numbers show both strengths and limits. For Q4 FY26, profit after tax came in at ₹7,071 crore, a 9% sequential rise but 0.6% lower than last year. Net interest income was up 5% from a year earlier. The net interest margin was 3.62%. Loans expanded 19% year on year, deposits rose 14%. Bulls see this as healthy balance-sheet growth.
Asset quality is still keeping investors interested in the stock. Axis Bank posted a gross NPA ratio of 1.23% and a net NPA ratio of 0.37% at the end of March. The net figure factors in provisions put aside for bad loans. Net credit cost came in at 0.37%, so the bank kept loan-loss costs in check on its loan book.
Axis Bank still faces questions on earnings quality before the stock can break out for good above its 52-week high. FY26 profit after tax dropped 7% to ₹24,457 crore. The bank set aside a one-time standard-asset provision of ₹2,001 crore in Q4 as a safeguard. Reuters reported in April that shares slid as treasury income fell, provisions increased and the bank’s planned $2 billion equity raise hit sentiment. The raise could fund growth but also brings the risk of dilution for current holders.
Brokers stay mostly positive, but the tone isn’t all-out bullish. Moneycontrol’s broker research page lists Motilal Oswal holding a Neutral with a ₹1,475 target, while LKP Securities, Anand Rathi and Prabhudas Lilladher all have Buy calls at ₹1,580, ₹1,610 and ₹1,600. That’s a 9% to 19% upside from Friday’s ₹1,356.30 close. But some of the bullish story looks priced in already.
Axis Bank is trading near its 52-week high and doesn’t look cheap at current levels, but there’s still some positive tilt. The Economic Times market data puts the price-to-earnings ratio at 15.52 and the price-to-book at 2.19. Price-to-book, which is used to value banks against their accounting net worth, is a common benchmark. Bulls are looking at loan growth, NPAs holding steady, support from the RBI on liquidity, and better credit costs. The bear side focuses on margin pressure, dilution risk from raising capital, and whether balance-sheet gains can actually drive profit growth by Q1 FY27.
