Bank of Baroda: PSU Banger or Balance Sheet Bomb? 💣🏦

Bank of Baroda: PSU Banger or Balance Sheet Bomb? 💣🏦

At a Glance

Bank of Baroda is India’s third-largest public sector bank by assets, flaunting a ₹1.2 lakh crore market cap, rock-bottom P/E of ~6, and a dividend yield that screams “Buy me, I’m desperate.” But beneath that PSU polish lies a complex beast: rising profitability, falling NPAs, and… ₹8.5 lakh crore of contingent liabilities. So, is this a value pick or a ticking PSU time bomb?


🏁 1. TL;DR – Is Bank of Baroda a PSU Multibagger in Disguise?

  • 💥 Profit grew from ₹981 Cr (FY20) to ₹20,865 Cr (FY25) — 21x jump in 5 years
  • 📈 5-Year PAT CAGR: 86%
  • 🔻 Stock is down 18% YoY, despite stellar earnings
  • 📘 Trading at 0.83x Book — among the cheapest large PSU banks
  • 🧾 Dividend yield: 3.57% with rising payout (~21%)
  • 😬 ₹8.5 lakh Cr in contingent liabilities
  • 🧮 FV Range: ₹210 – ₹320

🏛️ 2. What Exactly Does BoB Do (Besides Being a Meme Stock on Budget Day)?

Services Offered:

SegmentDescription
🧍‍♂️ RetailHousing loans, personal loans, deposits
🧑‍💼 CorporateMSMEs, working capital, project finance
🌍 InternationalPresence in 17 countries (including UAE, UK, US)
💹 TreasuryForex, bond trading, interest arbitrage
🌾 Rural/NRIKisan credit cards, NRI remittances

PS: The bank also runs Baroda Asset Management and Baroda Life Insurance as subsidiaries. So it’s not just a bank, it’s a PSU empire.


🧮 3. 5-Year Financial Recap – “From Loss to Boss” 📊

MetricFY20FY21FY22FY23FY24FY25
Revenue (₹ Cr)78,89574,31473,38594,5031,18,3791,27,945
Net Profit (₹ Cr)9811,6207,93315,00518,86920,865
EPS (₹)2.012.9915.1828.8236.2940.06
ROE (%)1%2%9%15%17%16%
Dividend Payout (%)0%0%19%19%21%21%

🧨 Note: FY20 had merger chaos with Dena & Vijaya Bank. Since then, the “new BoB” has been hitting the gym.


🛠️ 4. What’s Working for Bank of Baroda?

✅ Core Positives:

  • 🔥 Net Profit CAGR of 86% (5Y) — literally “from 0 to hero” storyline
  • 🧾 High Dividend Yield (3.57%) — higher than SBI, safer than small finance banks
  • 📘 Cheap Valuation — 0.83x Book, 5.8x P/E vs SBI’s 1.4x P/B and 9x P/E
  • 🧠 Declining NPAs — Gross and Net NPA falling steadily (sub-3% and sub-1% now)
  • 💰 Operating Leverage kicking in — Operating profit crossed ₹4,000 Cr/quarter
  • 🇮🇳 Strong PSU visibility in Budget and Capex cycles (infra, MSME lending, DBT disbursement)

🧨 5. What’s Not Working?

🚩 PSU Red Flags:

  • 💣 Contingent Liabilities of ₹8.49 lakh crore — that’s ~7x its market cap
  • 😵 Low Interest Coverage and visible negative margins in multiple quarters
  • 🪫 Negative financing margins in 4 out of last 12 quarters
  • 🪤 Highly cyclical stock — runs ahead of elections, crashes post-Budget
  • 🧮 ROE flattening at 16% — may not rise much unless leverage improves

📉 6. Valuation Breakdown — Is It Still a Value Buy?

MetricValue
CMP₹234
EPS (TTM)₹40.06
P/E5.86x
Book Value₹283
P/B0.83x
Dividend Yield3.57%

Historical Median Valuations (Post-Merger Era):

  • Median P/E: ~6.5x
  • Median P/B: ~0.9x

🎯 7. Fair Value (FV) Estimation

Method 1: P/E Based

  • Base Case: 6.5x on ₹40 EPS → ₹260
  • Bull Case: 8x on ₹40 EPS → ₹320
  • Bear Case: 5x on ₹40 EPS → ₹200

Method 2: P/B Based

  • Current BV = ₹283
  • Valuing at:
    • 0.75x BV (conservative) = ₹212
    • 0.90x BV (median) = ₹255
    • 1x BV (aggressive) = ₹283

🎯 EduInvesting FV Range: ₹210 – ₹320
CMP ₹234 = within reasonable value, with upside possible only if PSU rally continues.


📈 8. Stock Price CAGR – The Good News

PeriodCAGR
10Y5%
5Y38% 🔥
3Y35%
1Y-18% 😬

Clearly, FY25 earnings didn’t excite the market. Why? Because the “rate cut” narrative means banks lose NIM while bond traders win.


🗳️ 9. Institutional Shareholding – Everyone Loves a PSU

  • 🔵 Promoters (Govt): 63.97%
  • 🔴 FIIs: 8.98% (peaked at 12.4% in FY24)
  • 🟠 DIIs: 17.97%
  • 🔍 Public holds <9%

📉 FII trimming began in early 2024 — possibly sensing rate cycle reversal.


🧾 10. So… Is It Worth Betting on BoB?

Pros:

  • Dirt cheap valuation 🧼
  • Decade-high profits 📈
  • Strong capital ratios 🏦
  • Dividend flowing like Navratri prasad 🍬

Cons:

  • Contingent liabilities = red flag 🚩
  • Volatile PSU mood swings 🫠
  • Election-free years = fewer triggers 🎯

🔚 Final Verdict: BOB = “Bank of Bargain”?

This isn’t the bank your parents warned you about. It’s leaner, meaner, and trying hard to impress with profits. But PSU tag = permanent valuation discount.

BoB is what HDFC was in the ’90s — minus the charm, plus the bureaucracy.


✍️ Written by Prashant | 📅 June 21, 2025
Tags: Bank of Baroda, PSU Stocks, Nifty Bank, Value Investing, PSU Bank Earnings, Dividend Yield Stocks, EduInvesting, Contingent Liabilities, NPA Trends, Budget Rally

Prashant Marathe

https://eduinvesting.in

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