HDFC Bank Sells Housing and Car Loan Portfolios to Manage Credit Load Amid Regulatory Pressures
HDFC Bank Ltd, one of India’s largest corporate lenders, recently rolled out a combined Rs 150 billion ($1.8 billion) combined mortgage and auto loan portfolio, a strategic move and debt management due to regulatory pressure by the Mumbai-based bank as many as 60 from several countries -owned banks through private deals It has sold mortgages worth billions of rupees, the sources said. In addition, another Rs 90.6 billion of vehicle loans were invested in portable certificates of deposit (PTCs), which were sold to leading companies such as ICICI Prudential AMC, SBI Funds Management and Kotak Mahindra Asset Management.
Why the Sale?
The Indian banking industry is facing increasing scrutiny from regulators, especially on loan reserves and deposit ratios—an indicator of how much a bank’s reserves are lending to HDFC Bank’s loans and deposit ratios increased to 104% by March 2023, from 85- 2023. 88% range in previous years It is much larger. Part of the increase is that the merger with Housing Development Finance Corp (HDFC) has put pressure on the bank to cut its retail lending to address liquidity problems
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has stressed that lagging deposit growth relative to credit expansion could pose a systemic inflation risk. HDFC Bank’s move to sell off its divisions is seen as a strategic move to improve its balance sheet and enhance financial stability.
Car Loan Securitization: A Strategic Play
Because the sale of auto loans included the issuance of pass-through certificates (PTCs), a securitization product that enables lenders to combine loans and sell them to investors, the sale was highly notable. Prominent asset managers welcomed the PTCs well, with yields ranging from 8.02% to 8.20% for three distinct tranches, and they were secured by HDFC’s auto loans. By shifting a portion of its loan exposure to institutional investors, this not only gave HDFC cash but also diversified its risk.
A Broader Industry Trend
HDFC Bank is not alone in this effort. With the entire Indian banking industry struggling with rising lending and deposit ratios, many banks are exploring such ways to clear loan reserves. In June, HDFC also sold loans of Rs 50 billion, the trend is expected to continue.
As HDFC prepares to report its earnings for the quarter ended September, analysts expect deposit growth of around 13% year-on-year, with loan growth forecast about 8% This focus on rebalancing deposits and loans underscores the ongoing improvement in India’s financial position, as well as monetary policy and regulatory compliance taking action in particular.
HDFC Bank’s strategic bank sale not only reflects its efforts to navigate regulatory pressures but also signals a significant expansion in the Indian banking sector, where liquidity management is paramount to drive growth has been around for a long time.
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