AXISBANK vs ICICIBANK
Side-by-side comparison of Axis Bank Ltd. and ICICI Bank Ltd.. Descriptive only — not investment advice.
Axis Bank Ltd.
Banking
Quality Score: 65/100
ICICI Bank Ltd.
Banking
Quality Score: 72/100
At a glance
| Metric | AXISBANK | ICICIBANK |
|---|---|---|
| Quality Score | 65/100 | 72/100 |
| P/E (trailing) | 16.1 | 18.0 |
| Forward P/E | 11.4 | 14.8 |
| ROE | +13.2% | +16.4% |
| Profit margin | +35.4% | +24.9% |
| Debt-to-equity | — | — |
| Dividend yield | +0.07% | +0.82% |
| 1Y price return | +11.8% | -4.7% |
| From 52w high | -4.3% | -9.5% |
| Analyst rating1 = Strong Buy, 5 = Strong Sell | 1.28 | 1.23 |
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).
ICICI Bank trades at ₹1,346.50, fractionally above its 200-DMA (₹1,345.44) and 4.4% above its 50-DMA (₹1,289.74), after a -4.66% return over the past 12 months and a -9.54% drawdown from its 52-week high. Trailing PE is 18.0x versus a forward PE of 14.8x, with ROE at 16.36% — the second-highest among 6 ranked sector peers — and the bank holds the top quality score (64) in the peer group.
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.
- ✓Highest quality score in the peer group: 64 out of 100, ahead of HDFCBANK (47), BAJFINANCE (51), AXISBANK (50), HDFCLIFE (20), and BAJAJFINSV (23).
- ✓ROE of 16.36% ranks 2nd among 6 sector peers; trailing PE of 18.0x is lower than BAJAJFINSV (29.0x) and BAJFINANCE (31.6x), and broadly comparable to HDFCBANK (17.4x).
- ✓Forward PE of 14.8x implies earnings growth embedded in consensus estimates, with 5-year earnings growth recorded at 8.4% and 5-year revenue growth at 66.9%.
- ✓RBI cleared the reappointment of CEO Sandeep Bakhshi through 2028, providing leadership continuity at a large-cap private bank.
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 has exceeded 15% in only 3 of the tracked persistence years, and FCF-positive years also number 3, indicating the quality metrics are not uniformly sustained across the full available history.
- ✗Debt trend is classified as rising, which in a bank context warrants monitoring against net interest margin dynamics and credit-cost evolution.
- ✗12-month price return is -4.66% despite the bank holding the highest sector quality score; the stock has not recouped its 52-week high, remaining 9.54% below it.
- ✗Three resistance clusters sit at ₹1,393, ₹1,417, and ₹1,434 — between 3% and 7% above the current price — while support levels are at ₹1,223, ₹1,214, and ₹1,188, representing 9–12% below current price.
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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.