AXISBANK vs HDFCBANK
Side-by-side comparison of Axis Bank Ltd. and HDFC Bank Ltd.. Descriptive only — not investment advice.
Axis Bank Ltd.
Banking
Quality Score: 65/100
HDFC Bank Ltd.
Banking
Quality Score: 67/100
At a glance
| Metric | AXISBANK | HDFCBANK |
|---|---|---|
| Quality Score | 65/100 | 67/100 |
| P/E (trailing) | 16.1 | 17.4 |
| Forward P/E | 11.4 | 12.4 |
| ROE | +13.2% | +13.8% |
| Profit margin | +35.4% | +26.8% |
| Debt-to-equity | — | — |
| Dividend yield | +0.07% | +1.67% |
| 1Y price return | +11.8% | -16.7% |
| From 52w high | -4.3% | -22.3% |
| Analyst rating1 = Strong Buy, 5 = Strong Sell | 1.28 | 1.15 |
Highlighted value = better on the metric (lower for P/E, D/E, drawdown, analyst rating; higher elsewhere). Descriptive only.
Snapshots
Axis Bank (NSE: AXISBANK) trades at ₹1,357.90, up 11.85% over 12 months, with a trailing PE of 16.10 and forward PE of 11.38 — the lowest trailing multiple in its immediate peer group of six banking and financial services names. ROE stands at 13.15% and profit margin at 35.41%, while a 5-year revenue CAGR of -11.2% contrasts with earnings growth of +6.4% over the same period. The stock is currently 4.26% below its 52-week high, trading above both its 50-DMA (₹1,303.38) and 200-DMA (₹1,259.61).
HDFC Bank trades at ₹779.80 as of the analysis date, down 16.7% over 12 months and 22.3% below its 52-week high, with the price currently above its 50-DMA (₹761) but 11.8% below its 200-DMA (₹884). Trailing PE of 17.4 compresses to a forward PE of 12.4, while ROE of 13.82% and a profit margin of 26.83% reflect the ongoing integration phase following the HDFC Ltd merger completed in 2023.
Pros
- ✓Trailing PE of 16.10 is the lowest among the six tracked banking/financial peers (vs HDFC Bank 17.42, ICICI Bank 18.04, Bajaj Finance 31.65, Bajaj Finserv 28.97, HDFC Life 66.87), and forward PE compresses further to 11.38 — a 29% discount to trailing.
- ✓Price is above both the 50-DMA (₹1,303.38) and 200-DMA (₹1,259.61), with RSI at 64.58 in neutral territory and a 52-week drawdown of only -4.26%.
- ✓Profit margin of 35.41% is consistent with large private-sector bank economics; 5-year earnings growth of +6.4% is positive despite top-line pressure.
- ✓RBI cleared Axis Bank's application for a higher stake in Max Life Insurance, a notable regulatory milestone reported in early June 2026.
- ✓Profit margin of 26.83% and positive free cash flow in 4 of the available years demonstrate earnings durability across varying rate cycles.
- ✓Forward PE of 12.4 represents a 29% compression from the trailing PE of 17.4, indicating that consensus earnings growth expectations are already priced into a materially lower multiple.
- ✓The USD 750 million senior unsecured offshore bond issued via GIFT City IFSC in June 2026 — described as the largest such deal by Indian banks since 2023 — points to continued international capital-market access.
- ✓5-year earnings growth of 7.5% has remained positive through the merger integration period, alongside a dividend yield of 1.67%.
Cons
- ✗ROE of 13.15% exceeded 15% in only 1 of the tracked historical years; FCF was positive in just 2 of those years; debt trend is classified as rising — all three indicators weigh on the persistence consistency score of 46/100.
- ✗5-year revenue growth of -11.2% signals top-line contraction; earnings growth of +6.4% over the same period reflects margin improvement or provision dynamics rather than revenue-driven expansion.
- ✗Quality score of 50 ranks 3rd of 6 in the peer set; ICICI Bank scores 64 and Bajaj Finance scores 51, both ahead of AXISBANK on this composite measure.
- ✗The forward PE discount to trailing (11.38 vs 16.10) embeds a significant implied earnings step-up; if that step-up does not materialise, the multiple gap narrows less favourably than the forward PE alone suggests.
- ✗ROE of 13.82% has exceeded 15% in only 2 of the available historical years and ranks 4th of 6 banking peers; ICICIBANK (16.36%) and BAJFINANCE (17.91%) both post materially higher returns on equity.
- ✗5-year revenue growth is negative at -1.8%, reflecting top-line compression in the post-merger consolidation period; the quality score of 47 places HDFCBANK 4th of 6 in its peer group.
- ✗The stock has traded below its 200-DMA for an extended period, with a 52-week drawdown of 22.3% and a 12-month price decline of 16.7%, while the broader sector median 1-year change is unavailable for direct comparison.
- ✗Debt trend is classified as rising, which in a banking context merits tracking against net interest margin compression and any shift in the Reserve Bank of India rate posture.
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For informational purposes only. Not investment advice. VivaTrades is not a SEBI-registered Investment Adviser or Research Analyst. Comparison reflects current public data; consult a registered adviser before any investment decision.