Six expectations of banking sector from Budget 2017

Budget 2017 Date - With the Union Budget 2017 just a sniffing distance away, banking stocks are on a roll.  

The BSE Bankex, the barometer of banking stocks, has shot up 12% since its December lows in the anticipation of budgetary stimulus to keep demons of demonetisation at bay. 

Since the low 2,0148 hit on December 26, the Bankex has risen 12% to settle at 22,566 last week. This is against an 8% rise in Sensex during the same period.

Bank stocks such as YES Bank (up 27%), Federal Bank (up 26%), Punjab National Bank (up 20%), IndusInd Bank (up 18%) and Bank of Baroda (up 14%) have seen a phenomenal rally in the period mentioned. Others such as Kotak Mahindra Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, AXIS Bank and SBI too gained anywhere between 9% and 11%. 

Below are six concerns that market participants hope FM Arun Jaitley will address in Budget 2017:

1) Roadmap and incentives for digital push
2) Credit off-take3) Higher capital infusion4) Tax concessions on bad loans
5) Roadmap for disinvestment in PSU banks6) Higher allocation to infrastructure, housing and urban development

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