CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE
India to reduce stakes in 5 public sector banks, including UCO
- India is considering reducing its ownership in 5 state-run banks, including UCO Bank, Central Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, and Punjab and Sind Bank, through stake sales or allowing the banks to sell shares to large investors.
Key Highlights :
- Minimum Public Holding Norms: The goal is to bring down the government’s stake in these banks below 75% to meet regulatory norms.
- Methods of Stake Reduction:The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) may facilitate the stake sales.
- The alternative is for the banks to sell shares to large investors, which will help them meet the required public holding norms.
- Liquidity and Lending: Allowing stake sales will improve the liquidity of these banks, which could enable them to lend more, especially as analysts suggest asset quality in the banking sector may have peaked amid slowing economic growth.
- Market Response: Shares of UCO Bank and Indian Overseas Bank surged significantly, indicating strong investor interest in state-run banks.
- Performance of State-Run Banks:Over the last 12 months, state-owned bank stocks have shown a positive performance, with a 4% increase in the Nifty gauge of state-owned banks, contrasting with a 3.6% decline in the Nifty Private Bank index.
- Valuation of Banks: The banks where the government plans to reduce its stake are trading at a price-to-book ratio between 1.43 and 3.62, compared to the State Bank of India’s price-to-book ratio of 1.44.
Bank of Baroda secures Rs 5,000 crore via 10-year infrastructure bond at 7.23% interest rate
- Bank of Baroda (BoB) raised Rs 5,000 crore through a 10-year infrastructure bond at a coupon rate of 7.23%.
- The infrastructure bond issued by BoB was rated AAA by CRISIL and India Ratings, indicating a high credit rating.
Key Highlights :
- Issue Details:The base issue size was Rs 2,000 crore, with a green shoe option of Rs 3,000 crore, allowing for an additional issue of bonds.
- The demand for the bond was strong, with total demand amounting to Rs 14,830 crore, which was 7.5 times the base issue size.
- Full Issue Amount Retained: BoB decided to retain the full issue amount of Rs 5,000 crore despite the demand exceeding the issue size.
- IRFC’s Bond Issuance: The Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) also raised Rs 2,780 crore through 10-year bonds at a 7.25% interest rate.
- The base issue size was Rs 500 crore, and the green shoe option was Rs 2,500 crore.
- Demand for IRFC Bonds: IRFC received bids worth Rs 6,030 crore but retained Rs 2,780 crore, falling short of its target amount.
- IREDA’s Upcoming Bond Issue: The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) plans to raise Rs 1,500 crore through a 10-year bond issuance later in the week, with bonds rated AAA by ICRA and India Ratings.
About BoB :
- Founded : 20 July 1908
- Headquarters : Vadodara, Gujarat, India
- MD & CEO : Debadatta Chand
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India Expands Sandbox Framework to Foster Innovation
- The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has expanded the scope of its regulatory sandbox framework to encourage innovation, improve efficiency, and ease of doing business.
- Objective of Changes:These changes align with IRDAI’s move towards a modern, dynamic, and principle-based regulatory framework.
- The aim is to foster innovation, improve governance, ensure data security, and drive sustainable growth while upholding policyholder protection.
