PNB Housing Finance sees 5-8 bps margin improvement from rate hike: MD

PNB Housing Finance MD and CEO Ajai Shukla said the recent rate hike by the Reserve Bank would lead to a marginal improvement in net interest margin (NIM).

After a gap of almost four years, the Reserve Bank raised its benchmark lending rate by 25 basis points to 5.5 per cent, making borrowing from the central bank costlier to contain inflation fuelled by the West Asia crisis.

"Some benefit will go to the lender because all of the borrowing of the lender is not on the repo rate.

It is a combination of Marginal Cost of Funds-based Lending Rate (MCLR), commercial paper, refinance from National Housing Bank and non-convertible debentures," Shukla told PTI.

Asked about the quantum jump in margin improvement for the mortgage firm, he said the benefit will not be 25 basis points immediately on the book, but it may be 5-8 basis points.

Talking about the demand for housing finance, Shukla said, "We have seen some good traction...Momentum is already there.

Usually the mortgage business start