PSU bank stocks: list of 13 government banks in India

PSU stands for public sector undertaking, a company the government owns or controls. A PSU bank is a bank with a government majority. RBI lists 12 public sector banks: Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Punjab and Sind Bank, Punjab National Bank, State Bank of India, UCO Bank and Union Bank of India.

The page selects companies whose industry is Banks and which count as government companies, meaning the central and state governments together hold 51% or more of the shares. A bank enters or leaves the list when its government holding crosses 51%. Because state and union territory holdings count, the list can include a bank outside the 12, such as The Jammu and Kashmir Bank.

Govt is the combined government holding as a percentage of all shares. Govt promoter is the part held inside the promoter group, and Govt of promoters is the government's share of the promoter group's holding. Promoter is the whole promoter group's holding. Market cap is share price times shares outstanding. P/E is market cap divided by the last twelve months' profit that belongs to shareholders.

Listed companies must keep at least 25% of their shares with the public, and a public sector company that falls short must make it up within the time the rules set. The central government may exempt a company it controls from the rule, and some government banks show a government holding above 75%.

A bank's loans are funded by deposits and borrowings, so ratios built on debt, such as debt to equity, do not mean for a bank what they mean for other companies.