Moody’s takes positive rating actions on SBI, PNB and two other PSU banks

New Delhi: Moody's on Friday affirmed long-term deposit rating of State Bank of India (SBI) and upgraded it for Punjab National Bank (PNB), Canara Bank and Bank of Baroda (BoB) on improving credit profile. The outlooks on long-term ratings of all the four banks remain stable, said Moody's Investors Service in a statement.

Moody's has affirmed the Baa3 long-term local and foreign currency bank deposit ratings of SBI. SBI's Baseline Credit Assessment (BCA) and additional tier one securities (AT1) program rating is upgraded to ba1 and (P)B1 from ba2 and (P)B2, respectively.

'Improved credit rating of banks reflect improvement in macro profile of India'

"The affirmation of SBI's long-term deposit ratings at Baa3 and upgrade of BoB's, Canara's and PNB's long-term deposit ratings to Baa3 from Ba1 reflect an improvement in India's Macro Profile to Moderate+ from Moderate, the improving credit metrics of the four banks and Moody's continued assumption of a very high level of government support to the banks in times of need," said Moody's in a statement.

The bank deposit rating by Moody's indicates bank's ability to repay punctually its foreign and domestic currency deposit obligations.

Shares of SBI were trading at Rs 595.40 apiece, up 0.93 percent on BSE. Canara Bank stock was trading 1.3 percent up at Rs 324.40. Bank of Baroda was trading 1.8 percent higher at Rs 181 and PNB was up 1.2 percent at Rs 57.90 on BSE.

Recession unlikely in APAC region in 2023: Moody's Analytics

Retail loans have performed well & the financial health of corporates too has improved: Moody's

Moody's said that the credit conditions in India have gradually improved, retail loans have performed well and the financial health of corporates too has improved following a decade of deleveraging. Still, loans to small and medium-size enterprises continue to pose risks to the banks' asset quality because Moody's expects this segment to be the most vulnerable to interest rate hike.

"While India's economic growth will moderate driven by rising rates and a global slowdown, the Indian economy will perform better than emerging market peers. Because of these factors, the operating environment will remain supportive for banks," said Moody's.

Banks' asset quality to be healthy over the next 12-18 months: Moody's

Moody's expects the banks' asset quality to be healthy over the next 12-18 months, helped by a supportive operating environment, improved corporate balance sheets, and better retail underwriting quality.

The improvement in asset quality has translated into higher profitability because of lower credit costs. Moody's expects this increase in profitability to be sustainable over the next 12-18 months.

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