MUMBAI, April 23 -- Axis Bank is expected to report a steady performance in its March quarter earnings, marked by resilient loan growth, modest margin pressure and improving asset quality trends, six brokerages said. While headline growth remains healthy, the focus of analysts and investors will be on liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) and management commentary on the outlook for growth and profitability.

Net profit at India's third-largest private sector lender is expected to fall more than 2% to Rs.6,942 crore from a year earlier, according to a poll by Bloomberg. However, profit is seen rising almost 7% sequentially. The bank is scheduled to release its earnings report on Saturday.

Loan growth is expected to remain robust, although seque...