Finally, the cat is out of the bag. Yes Bank albeit a little late or cautious,
has decided to step into the Institutional market. It will be asking investors to pick up a $250m QIP stake to shore up its capital. In the meantime, as reported earlier, they have also put on hold their diversification and market development plans on the board for the last 2 years now as they get into some serious consolidation in its core banking business. They have a good sleeping brand and their recent cost cutting efforts would also bear fruit. However, their focus on SME business might change now as the current ticket size is very unremunerative for them. There was some recent murmur when Rabobank announced its plans to enter the country directly, but that is a non-starter since Yes Bank would not go for the stake sale by Rabobank without making sure the house is in order as a deeper recession is equally likely in the next 12 months.
Yes would need a little serious selling with big ticket business while continuing to present simple and generous options for retail and SME customers. Their non presence in asset management and broking would hardly raise any eyebrows as the business entirely survives on institutional volumes and even a
Kotakstreet and a
sharekhan are essentially struggling with their current "low" period.
I wonder how any bank with a brand like Yes can today crack open the expat market which has a few relatively unknown niche players ( Geojit, BNP and Investsmart with domestic accounts recently acquired by HSBC, or the untried indiainfoline that has a large proprietary account interest) It would need key leadership experience to realise a valid entry point. One option however, at the barest minimum requirement, is to go for a PSB or a local bank in UK and Australia or the Middle east. That requires capital but any other option leaves you with a performance like ICICI Bank which has managed only rep offices in all its overseas expansion and have not been able to generate the required trust without a retail presence on the ground, leaving the field seemingly open for players like ING and HSBC.
Regulatory level liaison with developed markets would sadly continue to maintain the respectable disconnect that exists as emerging markets can barely acknowledge their requirements of the day as they are seemingly extended to the rest of the world. It remains to be seen if that home brewn recipee of the Basel and BoE would ever land in some drifting current and be taken care of. A way must be found for India to spare the cash and show their value in the developed world and invest in these international markets before much more will come out to bear on market shares of all the players. This is not to belittle current efforts from either side but I didn't see it on the agenda in these last few years at work. It is never too late to start?
The scrip remains a good buy in Indian exchanges and I look forward to even more QIP issuance from YES Bank.
zyaada
zyaada
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