Axis Bank reports Q2 profit miss as target stays INR 1,620 for Axis Bank stock

Published on 10/25/2026 at 02:27 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Q2 net interest income rose 11.8 percent to INR 15,371 crore on October 17, 2026. The 3.36 percent margin is key for Axis Bank stock investors.

Valuation and earnings signals

ICICI Securities kept its INR 1,620 target on October 18, 2026.
Net interest income rose 11.8 percent to INR 15,371 crore in the second quarter of fiscal 2027.
Axis Bank's market capitalization stood at INR 3.8 trillion as of October 23, 2026.

Axis Bank, INE238A01034, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

Axis Bank (INE238A01034) reported second-quarter fiscal 2027 profit of INR 7,003 crore on October 17, 2026, below expectations, while ICICI Securities kept its INR 1,620 target on October 18, 2026. The result combined strong loan growth with a narrower net interest margin.

Three October signals matter

On October 17, 2026, Business Standard reported that Axis Bank's standalone profit reached INR 7,003 crore, up from INR 5,090 crore a year earlier, but missed the INR 7,124 crore average estimate. On October 18, 2026, DSIJ reported that ICICI Securities maintained its BUY recommendation and INR 1,620 target. On October 19, 2026, The Economic Times reported that the stock had dipped more than 4 percent to INR 1,232 after the results.

What does margin recovery require?

Net interest income rose 11.8 percent year over year to INR 15,371 crore in the quarter ended September 30, 2026, while advances increased 23 percent year over year. The net interest margin was 3.36 percent, down from 3.73 percent in the year-ago quarter. Excluding the effect of foreign-currency nonresident deposits, the margin was 3.47 percent.

Asset quality provided a counterweight. The gross nonperforming-asset ratio fell to 1.16 percent from 1.28 percent in the preceding quarter, while provisions and contingencies declined 52.2 percent year over year to INR 1,694 crore. The key investor question is whether loan growth can continue without prolonging pressure on margins and operating costs.

Next dates and valuation

Investegate reported that Axis Bank's postal-ballot voting runs through November 5, 2026, with the result due by November 9, 2026. Those dates are the next stated corporate milestones in the available company calendar.

Axis Bank was last quoted at INR 1,217.50 on the NSE on October 23, 2026 at 3:28 p.m. IST. Its market capitalization was INR 3.8 trillion, and its 52-week range was INR 1,150.30 to INR 1,418.30 as of that date. The valuation case therefore depends on the balance between 23 percent loan growth and the 3.36 percent reported margin.