RBI’s nod to SMBC deal lifts Yes Bank shares up; check details here

Yes Bank shares: The share price of Yes Bank rose as much as 5% today during morning trade after the private lender announced on Saturday that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has given its nod to the stated acquisition by Japan-based Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC). In May, Yes Bank had disclosed that SMBC has agreed to buy up to 24.99% stake in the Indian bank. SMBC's acquisition would mainly transpire through a secondary stake purchase of 13.19% from State Bank of India (SBI), while the remainder 6.81% would be acquired from other seven shareholders.

By intraday, Yes Bank shares had pared some of its gains, with the scrip trading at a modest 1.4% with the share price touching ₹19.55 apiece.

"We are pleased to inform that SMBC has received the approval of the Reserve Bank of India to acquire up to 24.99% of the paid-up share capital/ voting rights of the Bank vide letter dated August 22, 2025. This approval is valid for one year from the date of this letter. RBI has further clarified that pursuant to the said acquisition, SMBC would not be treated as a promoter of the Bank," Yes Bank had said in its statement on August 23.

During the Q1 FY26 earnings call, Yes bank's MD and CEO, Prashant Kumar had said in June that the proposed acquisition by SMBC will likely conclude by September.

“SMBC has already made applications to both the RBI and the Competition Commission of India,” Kumar confirmed during the Q1 FY26 earnings call. “We are hopeful that the deal will be able to conclude, say, in the month of September,” Kumar had said.

For its Q1 FY26 earnings, the private lender had reported a seventh consecutive quarter of profit expansion, with Yes Bank's net profit rising by 59.4% quarter-on-quarter. During the same earnings call, Kumar acknowledged that while the quarter was Yes bank's best yet, since its restructure, the growth had come not because of top-line expansion, but instead due to better management of expenses.