ICICI Bank Q3 Preview: Loan growth to support NII, margin pressure persists

ICICI Bank will announce its Q3FY26 earnings on January 17, 2026

• ICICI Bank Q3FY26 net profit seen up 5 percent YoY to Rs 12,417 crore
• Loan book expected to grow 11 percent YoY to Rs 14.5 lakh crore
• Net interest margins likely to remain steady at around 4.3 percent

Did our AI summary help?

ICICI Bank is expected to post a steady performance in the October–December quarter (Q3FY26), supported by healthy loan growth. The private sector lender is scheduled to announce its Q3 results on January 17, 2025.

According to a Moneycontrol poll, ICICI Bank’s net interest income (NII) is likely to rise 8 percent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 21,958 crore in Q3FY26, compared with Rs 20,370 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. Net profit is estimated to grow a modest 5 percent YoY to Rs 12,417 crore from Rs 11,792 crore a year ago.

Estimates of analysts polled by Moneycontrol are shown to be in a narrow range, meaning any positive or negative surprises may elicit a sharp reaction in the stock price. Among the brokerages polled, YES Securities rolled out the most bullish projections while Prabhudas Lilladher forecasted the slowest growth for ICICI Bank.

What factors are driving the earnings?

Loan and deposit growth: According to Motilal Oswal, ICICI Bank’s loan book is expected to expand 11 percent YoY to Rs 14.5 lakh crore, while deposits are projected to rise 10 percent YoY to around Rs 18 lakh crore.

Margins likely to remain flat: Brokerages expect net interest margins to stay steady at around 4.3 percent, as lower loan yields are likely to be offset by reductions in savings account and term deposit rates.

Higher slippages: Systematix expects slippages to rise sequentially, largely due to seasonally higher stress in the agricultural portfolio. As a result, provisions are also expected to increase on a sequential basis.

What should investors keep an eye on this quarter?

Investors will closely track trends in loan growth, deposit mobilisation and net interest margins, as these factors will offer key insights into ICICI Bank’s earnings resilience and growth outlook over the coming quarters.