Despite few misses, loan book growth helps HDFC ride through a tough year

Profitability and asset quality passed the test of difficult operating conditions; loan growth remains key to buck the trend

Housing Development Finance Corporation or HDFC, the market baron in housing loans, posted a decent March-quarter (Q4) result, with numbers largely ahead of expectations on all counts. As numbers exceeded estimates, the stock rose over 1 per cent on Monday despite it being a turbulent day of trade.

Net interest income at Rs 3,161 crore grew by 19 per cent year-on-year, while net profit -- despite higher tax costs, and due to gains from the sale of subsidiaries -- grew by 27 per cent year-on-year to Rs 2,862 crore. Bucking the underlying weakness in the industry, HDFC posted 12 per cent