Shares of Axis Bank fell by 5% on April 27, following the release of its Q4 results, which revealed a slight decline in net profit to ₹7,071 crore from ₹7,118 crore a year ago. The decrease was largely attributed to a 139% year-on-year increase in provisions, totaling ₹3,522 crore, including a one-time precautionary buffer of ₹2,001 crore to address potential stress in loan accounts due to geopolitical uncertainties. Despite these challenges, the bank reported a 19% increase in advances, reaching ₹12.34 lakh crore, and a 14% rise in deposits to ₹13.36 lakh crore. Asset quality metrics showed improvement, with the gross NPA ratio declining to 1.23% from 1.40% in the previous quarter. The bank's board also recommended a final dividend of ₹1 per equity share and plans to raise up to ₹20,000 crore through various funding methods, although no immediate equity raise is planned for the current financial year.