Research

Research articles published by Hemindra Hazari.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. A newly-appointed (on October 9, 2020) deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has proposed, for discussion, that large systemically-important non-bank finance companies (NBFCs) either convert themselves into banks, or that they contract assets, in order to protect financial stability. This proposal not only has...
Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMB) sent the following response to this analyst’s article, “KMB Talks of “Highest Standards of Corporate Governance”, But Avoids Telling Shareholders about Adverse SEBI Orders against Executive Director”  (dated August 3, 2022; it was later released to the general public as well, on grounds of public...
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. In the quarter ended March 31, 2020 HDFC AMC was dethroned as the market leader by SBI Mutual Fund, based on quarterly average assets under management (AUM). But worse may be in store in its lucrative actively managed equity-oriented AUM, as its large equity schemes are reporting...
The appalling record of incompetence, and likely worse, by India’s credit rating agencies (CRAs) continues to lengthen. The latest instance is the double default of commercial debt obligations (on June 27 and July 1, 2019) by Cox and Kings, a tour and travels services company. In this case the...
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. A notable feature in HDFC Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMB) is the historical absence of any commercial banking expertise amongst the independent directors on the boards. The founders (HDFC and Uday Kotak) and the Nomination and Remuneration Committee in both banks, as a deliberate strategy, have...
Indusind Bank, one of the stock market darlings and foreign investor favourites, startled the capital market with a mere 5% rise in net earnings. Earnings rose to Rs 9.2 bn for the quarter ended September 30, 2018 (2QFY2019), as compared with the consensus estimate of Rs 11 bn. This was on account...
Axis Bank is back in the spotlight for rewarding senior management for a disastrous performance. It was a year in which profits and profitability collapsed with the souring of corporate loans, the regulator penalised the bank for fudged accounts, the share price stagnated and no dividend was declared. Yet...
The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) approval of the selection of Amitabh Chaudhry, the then HDFC Standard Life Insurance Chief Executive Officer (CEO), as the Axis Bank CEO on August 8, 2018, and his taking charge on January 1, 2019, were celebrated by the market. Analysts and...
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. In a stunning non-disclosure, Indusind Bank conveniently neglected to reveal, in its 3QFY2020 results, that it had reduced shareholder funds by around Rs 6.7 bn as a charge for frauds without charging it to profits. The bank reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 13.09 bn...
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. Despites the paeans of self-praise in annual reports, exposé after exposé by the media reveal the abysmal state of corporate governance in private financial capital. The latest in these revelations by ET Prime is how Yes Bank disbursed a Rs 5.12 bn loan to Oyster Buildwell, an...