Axis Bank Nifty Gainer September 3 Banking Sector Recovery

Axis Bank Limited

was among the top three gainers in the Nifty 50 on Thursday, September 3, 2026, rising as the Sensex recovered from three straight sessions of losses after US President Donald Trump played down the prospect of a prolonged Iran conflict — directly easing crude oil pressure that had been the primary drag on financial sector sentiment through the week. Axis Bank Limited gaining alongside ICICI Bank and Adani Ports in Thursday's early trade confirms private banking's role as the primary beneficiary of any Iran-related risk-off reversal. Every session this week where crude spiked above $92 saw IT and FMCG lead while banks sold off. Thursday's reversal — with banking stocks gaining over 1 per cent across both PSU and private sector names — is the mirror image of that pattern playing out as Trump's comments reduced the immediate conflict premium in crude. Banking stocks benefited from an additional domestic catalyst on Thursday: fresh liquidity expectations following strong non-resident Indian deposits under the RBI's foreign-currency non-repatriable swap scheme. Both private-sector and state-owned banks advanced around 1 per cent in early trading on the NRI deposit inflow signal, which improves the liability-side funding position for Indian banks heading into the festive season credit cycle. Key metrics for Axis Bank: Q4 FY26 net profit of Rs 7,130 crore up 11.4 per cent year on year, gross NPA at a decade-low of 1.28 per cent, and 52-week range of Rs 995.40 to Rs 1,339.35. Axis Securities has flagged Axis Bank alongside ICICI Bank and Ujjivan SFB as its top banking sector picks with upside of up to 28 per cent from current levels.