Axis Bank reports Rs 5,361 cr loss in Q4 on Citi acquisition payout

Axis Bank reported a Rs 5,361 crore loss on a consolidated basis for the January-March period against a net profit of Rs 4,417 crore a year ago, impacted by the Rs 12,490 crore payout towards the Citi acquisition.

On a standalone basis, the third largest private sector lender reported a Rs 5,728 crore loss against a net profit of Rs 4,117 crore in the year-ago period, and Rs 5,853 crore in the preceding December quarter.

Its managing director and chief executive Amitabh Chaudhry told reporters that the impact of acquiring Citi's retail businesses is a one-time one, and if one were to exclude the same, the net profit would have grown by over 61 per cent on a year-on-year basis.

The bank's core net interest income grew 33 per cent to Rs 11,742 crore driven by a 0.73 per cent expansion in the net interest margin at 4.22 per cent and an over 20 per cent growth in advances. The other income grew 16 per cent to Rs 4,895 crore during the quarter.

Its chief financial officer Puneet Sharma