Axis Bank reported a marginal decline in net profit for Q4 FY26, with earnings falling 0.64% year-on-year to ₹7,071 crores, slightly lower than ₹7,118 crores in the same quarter last year. The bank's interest income rose 4.7% year-on-year to ₹32,724 crore in Q4FY26, compared with ₹31,243 crore in Q4FY25, while interest expenses increased to ₹18,267 crore from ₹17,432 crore. The bank took a significant one-time hit during Q4, creating an additional standard asset provision of ₹2,001 crores citing evolving macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties. For the full financial year FY26, net profit dropped 7% to ₹24,457 crores from ₹26,373 crores in FY25, weighed down by higher provisions. However, the bank showed robust business performance with total deposits growing 14% year-on-year to ₹13,35,834 crores and advances surging 19% to ₹12,33,570 crores. The bank's balance sheet expanded 17% year-on-year to ₹18,86,850 crores as of March 31, 2026, with corporate loans leading growth at 38% year-on-year and SME loans growing 24%.
IDFC First Bank reported a 5% increase in Q4 FY26 PAT to ₹319 crore, with normalized PAT excluding isolated incidents reaching ₹746 crore, up 145% year-on-year. The bank's performance was driven by improved asset quality, with gross NPAs declining to 1.45% of advances from 2.60% a year ago. However, the bank faced significant operational challenges with a ₹645 crore fraud at its Chandigarh branch sharply impacting quarterly performance. The fraud resulted in a 42% drop in operating profit as the bank fully expensed the impact during the quarter, with operating profit falling to ₹1,059 crore from ₹1,812 crore in the previous year. During the quarter, the Haryana government de-empanelled IDFC First Bank and ordered withdrawal of all state funds following a ₹590 crore fraud detected in February 2026 at the Chandigarh branch. The bank has fully expensed the impacted amount in Q4 FY26, with the post-tax impact being ₹483 crores. Despite this setback, the bank showed strong business growth with gross advances growing 20% year-on-year to ₹2.84 lakh crore and total deposits expanding 17% to ₹2.95 lakh crore. The current and savings bank share improved significantly by 289 basis points in the last year to 49.8%, while the bank's net interest margin improved to 5.95% from 5.76% in the preceding quarter.
India Cements reported a fourfold net profit rise to ₹59 crore in Q4 FY26, marking a sharp reversal from a loss of ₹75 crore in the same quarter last year. The company's EBITDA stood at ₹179 crore on a consolidated basis, up from ₹23 crore in Q4 FY25. Domestic cement sales volumes grew 18% year-on-year to 3.12 million tonnes with capacity utilization rising to 84%. Net realizations improved 3.5% sequentially and 6.2% year-on-year to ₹3,791 per tonne, while operating EBITDA per tonne improved significantly to ₹497 from ₹305 per tonne in Q3 FY26. The company also reported a one-time gain during the quarter, further supporting profitability, reflecting a recovery in operational efficiency and cost management. The company completed its brand migration to UltraTech in March 2026 and announced a ₹2,000 crore capital expenditure plan over the next two years, targeting capacity expansion of 2.8 million tonnes per annum and scaling green power from 6% to 80% of its energy mix by FY29.
RBL Bank reported a standalone net profit of ₹822 crore for FY26, up from ₹695 crore in the previous year, as provisions fell sharply and loan growth accelerated. For Q4 alone, the bank earned a net profit of ₹230 crore, compared to ₹69 crore in the same quarter last year. Net Interest Income rose 7% year-on-year to ₹1,671 crore, while gross and net NPAs declined, indicating healthier loan performance. The bank's total advances expanded to ₹1,14,232 crore from ₹92,618 crore, while deposits surged to ₹1,39,018 crore from ₹1,10,944 crore. Gross NPAs declined significantly to 1.45% of advances from 2.60% a year ago, with the board recommending a dividend of ₹1 per equity share. On April 25, 2026, the bank announced that Emirates NBD Bank (PJSC) has received RBI approval to acquire up to 74% of RBL Bank's paid-up share capital. The proposed preferential issue and a scheme to amalgamate Emirates NBD's India branch into RBL Bank are currently awaiting further regulatory clearances.
The banking sector showed mixed results with Axis Bank facing pressure from elevated provisions despite strong business growth, while IDFC First Bank demonstrated significant improvement in asset quality metrics despite operational challenges from fraud impact. India Cements achieved a remarkable turnaround driven by better realizations and cost management, while RBL Bank benefited from improved loan growth and reduced NPAs. Market reactions varied across sectors, with some companies like India Cements showing positive momentum while others faced challenges from regulatory changes or margin pressures. The results come at a time when markets are grappling with global uncertainties, rising crude prices and currency weakness, making today's earnings announcements crucial for near-term market direction. As per The Hindu BusinessLine, Axis Bank's MD & CEO Amitabh Chaudhry said the bank closed the year on a strong note but flagged awareness of global macro and geopolitical risks heading into FY27.
