RBI Repo Rate Held at 5.25%: Bank Stocks Rally as Geopolitical Relief Trumps Inflation Fears
The Nifty Bank index, which had already opened in the green following a late-night ceasefire announcement in West Asia, accelerated its gains after Governor Sanjay Malhotra confirmed the repo rate would remain at 5.25%. By 10:23 AM IST, the index was trading at 52,716.25, up 0.20% or 107.15 points.
- Republic Business
- 2 min read
Indian banking stocks maintained a steady upward trajectory on Wednesday, extending a pre-policy rally as a geopolitical "risk-on" shift outweighed the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) widely anticipated decision to hold interest rates steady.
Pre Policy Optimism Fuels Early Gains
The banking sector didn't wait for the RBI's 10:00 AM address to start its climb. Markets opened with a strong gap-up as news of a two-week US-Iran ceasefire hit terminals, prompting a sharp reversal in the massive foreign institutional investor (FII) outflows seen in March—which totaled over ₹1.12 trillion.
The private sector banks spearheaded the morning's momentum, with internal metrics showing a clear preference for lenders with lower exposure to volatile energy portfolios.
- ICICI Bank: The clear leader of the pack, surging 1.39% to ₹1,248.50. The stock recovered nearly ₹32 from its intraday low in less than 90 minutes.
- Axis Bank: Gained 0.39% to reach ₹1,250.10, bolstered by strong quarterly net interest income (NII) of ₹14,287 crore.
- HDFC Bank: Showed cautious resilience, trading up 0.18% at ₹1,542.10, despite the heavy weight it carries in the index.
- Federal Bank: A standout performer among mid-tiers, climbing 1.53% to ₹275.65.
Public sector banks saw a more muted reaction. The State Bank of India (SBI) traded marginally lower, down 0.46% at ₹1,028.00, while Punjab National Bank (PNB) lagged with a 1.80% decline to ₹104.58 as investors rotated capital toward private credit growth.
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Geopolitical Tailwinds Override MPC Caution
While the RBI revised its CPI inflation projection to 4.5% for H1 FY27, citing the exogenous shock of the month-long war, the market focused on the immediate relief in energy costs. With oil prices sliding back toward the $100-per-barrel mark, the potential imported inflation tax on India's economy has lightened.
Governor Malhotra emphasized that the Indian economy's 7.1% GDP growth projection remains intact, a figure that continues to make the banking sector an attractive value play for FIIs looking to return to emerging markets.