HDFC Bank flags hit to asset quality, margins post merger; shares slide

HDFC Bank, India’s leading private lender, has warned that its merger with HDFC Ltd will negatively impact its financial metrics, including margins and bad loan ratios. The bank’s gross bad loan ratio is expected to increase from 1.2% to 1.4% post-merger, while excess liquidity from the merger will drag down net interest margins by around 25 basis points.