Sell

MMFS reported a steady quarter, with PAT at ~Rs5.7bn (+8% QoQ/+54% YoY), ahead of Street and our estimates. Credit costs remained elevated at 2.2% (vs 1.9% in Q1), though the management expects moderation in coming quarters with full-year levels contained at ~1.7%.

SBI Cards (SBIC) has been focusing on credit cost improvement and the results are becoming visible now. However, this has also led to a calibrated credit growth and directionally lower revolver mix, impacting earnings.

Poonawalla Fincorp (PFL) delivered a strong quarter, driven by robust growth, margin expansion, and improved asset quality. The company saw healthy growth in AUM, with disbursements nearly doubling YoY.

The stage-3 asset ratio in the gold loan portfolio declined to 2.58% in Q1FY26 from 3.98% a year earlier, supported by customer-led repayments aided by rising gold prices and flexible repayment options....

We expect yield compression to persist in the medium term as the company pivots toward secured lending to enhance competitiveness and attract high-value clients. Asset quality in the gold loan segment remains stable, supported by strong gold prices. However, risks in the nongold portfolioparticularly MFI, MSME, and vehicle financeremain elevated. Near-term credit cost pressures are likely to continue, though improved employee incentives may support recoveries and offset provisioning risks. As the company navigates its stabilization phase, improvements are expected to unfold gradually. Given the recent price hike and stretched...

Not surprisingly, MMFS posted muted results in Q1FY26, with PAT at ~Rs5.3bn largely hit by elevated credit cost (~25bps higher than our estimate of ~1.9% of business assets), and YoY AUM growth of 15%/disbursement growth of only 1%.

LTF reported a steady Q1FY26, with overall AUM crossing the Rs1trn mark and registering a 15% YoY (~13.8% excluding Gold Loans) growth, resulting from strong disbursements across the retail segment (including MFI and GL).

expects the cost of funds to decrease gradually in FY26 gaining from the RBI rate *over or under performance to benchmark index action, thereby expecting a steady NIM in the upcoming quarters. Rising credit cost, worsening GNPA and NNPA ratios reflected the weak asset quality of SBI Cards & Payment Services during the quarter. Increasing non-interest expenses and the loan losses provision, the factors reducing the company's profitability, remain a primary concern. Further, the macroeconomic environment continued to witness headwinds leading to stress in unsecured lending. Hence, we retain our...

L&T Finance (LTF) reported a weaker than estimated set of numbers, with changing asset composition and interest-rate cuts in MFI causing NIM compression (35bps QoQ).

Poonawalla reported another patchy quarter (Q4) with elevated credit cost (3.03% of AUM) and opex (4.6% of AUM) pushing profitability materially lower (RoA of 0.76%).

MMFS logged muted growth/profitability in Q4FY25, with key numbers largely in line with our estimate; but PPoP and PAT were ~5% lower than consensus estimates. Despite the management’s persistent efforts and initiatives in recent years toward diversifying away from the wheels business, MMFS remained dominated by wheels – around 93% (PVs: ~40%).

LTF delivered an in-line performance in Q3FY25, in terms of AUM growth, PAT, and credit cost. However, ongoing stress in the MFI segment is expected to keep near-term asset growth below the targeted growth of 25%.

Poonawalla Fincorp reported disappointing Q2 numbers with the credit cost of Rs9.1bn (including Rs6.7bn one-time provisioning on the STPL book) leading to the company posting a Rs4.7bn loss.

LTF reported a mixed Q2FY25 result with PAT of Rs6.96bn broadly in line with our estimates, whereas it was ~3% above Consensus estimates.

We recently met Raul Rebello (MD & CEO) and Vivek Karve (CFO) of MMFS for an update on the company’s strategy and recent developments in the sector and the company.

Amid rising hopes of a policy rate cut in CY25, we believe SBI Cards with its fixed rate asset portfolio and higher share of borrowings maturing in <1 year, could benefit on the margins front which has stabilized after a prolonged contraction cycle.

MMFS reported a satisfactory set of numbers in Q1FY25, with PAT at Rs5.1bn coming below our estimate of Rs5.4bn and marginally above consensus estimate of ~Rs5bn.

Poonawalla reported a good quarter, with profit, AUM growth, asset quality, and credit cost broadly in-line-to-slightly-better than consensus/our estimates.