India's Axis Bank reported a smaller-than-expected rise in third-quarter profit on Thursday, as it set aside more funds for potential bad loans amid a slight deterioration in asset quality. The country's fourth-largest private lender by market capitalisation said its standalone net profit - which excludes earnings of its subsidiaries - rose 4% to 63.

The management believes FY25 credit growth will be anchored by deposit growth/LDR, which, analysts think, is still a challenge for Axis Bank

For Axis Bank, the Net Interest Income (NII) is projected to grow by 10% year-on-year (YoY), while Profit After Tax (PAT) is expected to rise by a modest 3% YoY.

Shares of India's Axis Bank fell 3.7% on Friday, a day after the lender posted a smaller-than-expected quarterly profit increase, weighed down by slower loan growth and higher provisions set aside for potential bad loans.

Executives at the country’s third largest private sector lender said the bank sees a degree of indebtedness in certain segments of the borrowers, which led to taking a deliberate call on slowing loan

Results: Private lender Axis Bank on Thursday, reported a standalone net profit increase of 3.8%, reaching ₹6,304 crore in December 2024, compared to a profit after tax (PAT) of ₹6,071 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year.

India's Axis Bank reported a 4% year-on-year rise in third-quarter profit on Thursday, helped by higher core lending income.