HDFC says demand for home loans remains strong despite higher rates

• Consequent interest rate hikes in May and June have impacted net interest income of the housing financier in June quarter.
• Despite the challenging environment the company says that the demand for home loans remains strong.
• Housing Development Finance Corporation reported a 22% growth in profit after tax at ₹ 3,669 crore for June quarter.

Housing Development Finance Corporation today reported a 22% growth in profit after tax at ₹ 3,669 crore for June quarter.

However, the rising interest rates environment has impacted even the largest housing finance company’s net interest income for the quarter that saw two sharp repo rate hikes by RBI. As a result of increasing interest rates the housing financier raised lending rates across products.

“The monetary committee meetings held in May and June 2022, respectively, increased the policy repo rate by an aggregate 90 basis points. This was mainly on the account of the uncertainties in the inflation trajectory. As a result, there has been an uptick in interest rates consequent to which we have increased deposit rates as well as rates on our loan products,” Keki Mistry, CEO of Housing Development Finance Corporation said in an analysts earnings call.

Net interest income and net interest margin were temporarily impacted by the mid month increase in interest rates in May and June.

The net interest income for the quarter stood at ₹4,447 crore as against ₹18,872.7 crore it reported last quarter.

“In the corresponding quarter of the previous year, due to the second wave of COVID-19, there was ample liquidity in the system and consequently, overnight interest swap rates fell to very low levels, thus expanding NII and Net Interest Margin (NIM),” said HDFC

Loans demand remains strong
Despite the challenging environment the company says that the demand for home loans remains strong.

“The demand for home loans and the pipeline of loan applications continues to remain strong. Growth in home loans was seen in both the middle income segment as well as in high end properties,” said HDFC.

Overall, individual loans comprise 79% of the AUM and their average loan size stood at ₹35.7 lakh compared to ₹ 33.1 lakh in FY22.

In fact, 92% of new loan applications were received through digital channels.

During the quarter 23% of home loans approved in volume terms and 10% in value terms have been to customers from the economically weaker section and low income group.

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