Non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) such as Bajaj Finance, Shriram Finance, Muthoot Finance, and IIFL Finance have regained their growth momentum after losing market share to banks in the post-Covid period. The growth surge is being led by diversified lenders and gold-loan companies while development-finance institutions such as Power Finance Corporation (PFC), REC, and Housing & Urban Development Corporation (Hudco) continue to grow at a slower pace.
'Do exhaustive research and then select the one that best fits your budget and requirements.'
LIC Housing Finance (LICHF) delivered a healthy FY24 with improvements in net interest margin (NIM) and credit costs and an improved return on assets of 1.7 per cent compared to an average of 1.3 per cent between FY14-FY23. Loan growth was low due to technology upgrades to the platform in H1FY24, though momentum improved in H2FY24. In Q4FY24, the net interest income (NII) came in at Rs 2,250 crore.
The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee's (MPC) decision to cut the repo rate by 50 basis points (bps) to 5.5% was contrary to the expectations of many economists. Firstly, most of the economists expected the MPC to cut the repo rate by 25 bps citing the weakening of inflation, prospects of economic growth, geopolitical uncertainty and comfortable system liquidity.
Public sector insurance firm subsidiary LIC Housing Finance on Tuesday announced a reduction in interest rates for its existing home loan borrowers.
Leading mortgage financier LIC Housing Finance on Monday cut its home loan rates by 75 basis points for existing customers effective from April 1.
LIC Chairman T S Vijayan on Friday said that V K Sharma will take over as the CEO of its housing finance arm, early next week. Sharma has been chosen to replace LIC Housing Finance CEO Ramachandran Nair, who was arrested by the CBI on charges of involvement in housing-loan bribery case on Wednesday.
Immediately after Reserve Bank hiked key short-term interest rates by 0.25 per cent on Tuesday, LIC Housing Finance announced that it will raise home loan rates.
Leading home loans provider LIC Housing Finance on Friday cut interest rates for new loans by 0.5 per cent effective from August 1.Another home loan lender HDFC has also cut interest rates on loans between Rs 30 lakh and Rs 50 lakh by 0.50 per cent from August 12.
LIC Housing Finance on Thursday announced it will launch reverse mortgage schemes for senior citizens in a couple of months.
Fifty-one-year-old Sharma, who was earlier serving as the head of parent Life Insurance Corporation for the South Zone, asked investors not to "worry or panic".
Unit Trust of India and Industrial Finance Corporation of India, which together hold around 23 per cent stake in LIC Housing Finance, are likely to exit from the company even as LICHFL is exploring possibility of a public offer.
LIC Housing Finance on Thursday slashed interest rates for new housing loan customers, intensifying the war for cornering a major pie of the now reviving home loan market.
Some called it 'sheer bad luck' for Nair, others talked of a conspiracy.
"The main point is managing this growth so as to make it sustainable. Our aim is to grow by at least 25 per cent on-year during 2011-12."
A number of non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) have tapped into the debt capital market ahead of the festival season to meet increasing credit demand as bank funding slows. On Tuesday, Aptus Value Housing Finance secured Rs 300 crore at an interest rate of 8.75 per cent through bonds maturing in five years. ICICI Home Finance Company turned to the market to raise Rs 275 crore at 7.94 per cent, alongside another Rs 300 crore at 7.95 per cent, through bonds maturing in five and three years, respectively.
LIC Housing Finance Ltd has posted a net profit of Rs 413.40 million for the quarter ended December 31 as compared to net profit of Rs 321.20 million in the quarter ended December 31, 2001.
Reserve Bank of India on Thursday said 15 large NBFCs, including LIC Housing Finance, Bajaj Finance, Shriram Finance and Tata Sons, will be subject to enhanced regulatory requirements. The central bank has categorised NBFCs into Base Layer (NBFC-BL), Middle Layer (NBFC-ML), Upper Layer (NBFC-UL) and Top Layer (NBFC-TL). A list of 15 large Non Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs) falling in the Upper Layer category has been released.
'Those betting against PSUs will likely be punished in this upswing.'
This is a good opportunity for long-term investors to pick quality small and midcap stocks at reasonable valuations.
'We are working with a few housing finance companies to drive affordable lending because that's where we believe our sweet spot is.'
Following are comments from economists at leading financial institutions, banks and rating agencies on the interim Budget:
The headline for corporate profit growth has been very encouraging in the July-September quarter (Q2) of 2023-24 (FY24), with the combined net profit of listed companies up by 38 per cent year-on-year. However, the earnings distribution has been very lopsided, with most of the growth coming from public-sector oil-marketing companies (OMCs), banks, non-bank lenders, automobile (auto) companies, and cement producers. By comparison, companies from information technology services, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), retail, and consumer durables were disappointed, experiencing a sharp slowdown in net sales growth and a relatively muted increase in reported net profit.
Public sector housing finance firm Housing and Urban Development Corporation has reduced interest rates on home and project loans by 50 to 125 basis points with effect from January 1, 2009. LIC Housing Finance on Wednesday cut interest rates for existing home loan borrowers by 0.75 per cent with effect from January 1.
Fundraising activity in the debt market is gaining momentum ahead of the festival season. Several non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) are planning to raise at least Rs 5,560 crore in the next two days by issuing bonds, with a greenshoe size of Rs 6,370 crore. Ajay Malglunia, managing director and head of investment grade group at JM Financial, said, "The market likes certainty, the market will gain clarity after the US Federal Reserve's (Fed's) policy.
Highly-rated finance firms and housing finance companies are expected to benefit from the absence of Housing Development Finance Corp (HDFC) from the bond market once it merges with the HDFC Bank in early FY24. Post merger, the bond market is expected to become less crowded, which will ease fund raising conditions for other players in the field. It may perhaps also compress the spread for debt instruments floated by housing finance companies (HFCs) over 10-year government bonds, subject to demand and supply conditions.
Listed housing finance companies (HFCs), as a group, posted a 3.7 per cent drop in second-quarter (Q2) profit year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 5,830 crore and 19 per cent sequentially on rise in interest expenses and uptick in provisions and write-offs. Operating income rose 13.7 per cent YoY to Rs 54,086 crore in Q2 of 2022-23 (FY23). Sequentially, income was up 62.3 per cent, from Rs 33,331 crore in the first quarter (Q1) of 2021-22 (FY22).
Low home loan rates by banks could put large players in an advantageous position over smaller non-bank players, believe analysts.
While rising interest rates and tighter liquidity are giving negative signals for the financial sector, increasing economic activity could mean higher business volumes for lenders. Liquidity in the banking system has moved from Rs 8 trillion surplus into a deficit of Rs 33,000 crore over the 2022 calendar year. By the end of November, bank credit had grown 17.5 per cent YoY (year-on-year).
Gaurav Mohta, chief marketing officer, Home First Finance Company, answers home loan queries.
'Had there been no war, maybe, we would come out with a 7.5 per cent stake sale.' 'At this point in time, a 3.5 per cent stake sale looked good.'
To ensure the property right is not contested, one has to take various steps, including getting a bank NoC.
According to sources, in a January 6 letter to the department of financial services under the finance ministry, LIC said it wanted to stop sponsoring LIC Nomura Mutual Fund, and might offer some of its stake in LIC Housing Finance to other shareholders.
"We may rope in a consultant for our proposed foray into banking business, if that is required. This will happen after the final guidelines on banking license is out by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)," Director and Chief Executive of LIC Housing Finance, V K Sharma said.
Retirement fund manager EPFO has decided to suspend further investments in the LIC Housing Finance till CBI completes investigations into the alleged involvement of its top official in the bribes-for-loans scam.
The plan panel on Thursday termed the housing finance racket, involving the chief of LIC Housing Finance and several other officials of PSU banks, as a "very small" incident as far as banking system as a whole was concerned.
Close on the heels of public sector banks slashing their home loan rates, LIC Housing Finance, has announced a 1.75-2.25 per cent cut in its lending rates for home loans up to to Rs 20 lakh (Rs 2 million) from December 17.
Ajit Mishra, vice president, Research, Religare Broking, answers your queries.
The government of India holds 24.5 per cent stake in GSTN while states together hold another 24.5 per cent
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