SBI shares rose sharply by 7.6% to ₹1,148 on Monday, topping the Nifty gainers' list as the benchmark index advanced 0.7%. This marked the highest single-day gain since June 2024. "SBI reported strong loan book growth of 15.6%, outpacing HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank, and raised its FY26 credit growth guidance to 13-15% from 12-14%," said Yuvraj Choudhary, research analyst at Anand Rathi Institutional Equities. He added, "The bank continues to deliver significant outperformance on asset quality, while operating performance remains robust." Following the strong results, brokerages turned more optimistic. Nuvama called SBI a top buy after its standout December-quarter performance and lifted its target price to ₹1,250 from ₹1,150. Over the past six months, SBI shares have surged 39.4%, far outpacing the Nifty's 5.2% rise. Analysts noted steady buying in recent derivatives, with SBI futures open interest rising 14%, led by bullish bets. Ruchit Jain, head of Technical Research at Motilal Oswal Financial Services, said, "Even after the gap-up opening today, the stock saw fresh buying, which is a sign that the uptrend remains intact." He identified ₹1,080 as immediate support and expects the stock to gradually move toward ₹1,200 soon. Most brokerages see 7-14% upside from Monday’s closing price. Nomura analysts said, "A substantial portion of the re-rating has already played out, in our view, and we believe incremental upside from here should be largely earnings-driven rather than multiple-led." Nomura kept its 'Buy' rating and raised the target price to ₹1,235. SBI continues to shine as investors bet on strong loan growth and robust asset quality.