Infosys Q3 Results Highlights: Net profit falls 1.7% to 6,106 crore QoQ, revises revenue guidance

“With generative AI, we have an extremely strong capability to set up a lot of activity with our clients. For example, we are working with a large retail company on their first AI transformation. This is very strategic work with the client. We're working with a large global bank on their risk area to use large language models to make that risk area better for them. So we have a large number of such deals. We are not, at this stage, publicly sharing what the Gen AI revenue is. But we have tremendous capability and a good market position,” said Salil Parekh. 

"We continue to monitor the utilisation and Flexi hiring models. In fact, with COVID, which is both off-campus and on-campus, that's really been a new learning experience for us. So it's really on demand, and we can go behind that thing. And at this stage, of course, we're not seeing any immediate campus requirements, but for any volume increase, we have a very strong off-campus programme as well now, said Nilanjan Roy at the press conference. 

“Again, for us, it's been more like we're seeing a similar outlook to what we were seeing in the past quarter. But as we get closer to the end of the year, just the variability reduces. And that's how we've narrowed the guidance. So it's not a question of reducing the upper end because, in that sense, we've increased the lower end, so it's, I would say, really quite balanced between what we were seeing last quarter and this quarter,” explained Parekh.

"In fact, this quarter has been, I think, very strong, at $3.2 billion. If you look at the nine months, this is the highest ever value of deal wins that we've. Actually, it's more than what we had in the year before, where we had a very large deal in that instance.

So we feel extremely good. 71% of this is net new, it is extremely strong because it helps position us for more in the future," said Parekh at the conference.

“Cost and efficiency automation is much more and generative AI has a lot of interest and traction, even if it's small revenue numbers today,” said Infosys CEO in the press conference. 

"So what we've done is, really, as we get closer to the end of the financial year, we've tightened the revenue growth guidance, and the margin guidance remains the same. So in effect, really, the higher end has come a little bit lower, and the lower end has gone up a little bit. 

So we see the outlook in essence quite similar, but the guidance is tight, and that's how we see it based on what we've seen in the first three quarters, where our growth has been 1.8% in constant currency terms over the previous years, three quarters. And that's really all we've done with the guidance," explained Salil Parekh at the press conference.

“I want to thank Nilanjan for the excellent work he has done and for the strong position he is put Infosys in. In additon, I also want to thank Nilanjan for his partnership and his friendship over the past several years. We wisih him all the best in the future,” said Salil Parekh at the conference. 

“We have integrated a generative AI components into a service line portfolio, creating impact for our clients. We have 100,000 employees trained in generative AI areas. We have developed, a range of use cases and benefit scenarios across different industries for our clients. Our margin improvement program continues to gain traction,” said Parekh in the press conference.

“Based on the performance in the first three quarters and outlook for Q4, we will be tightening our revenue growth guidance for FY24 to 1.5% to 2%. Our operating margin guidance for FY24 remains unchanged at 20% to 22%,” said Salil Parekh.

“Based on the recommendation of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, considered and approved the re-appointment of Chitra Nayak, as an Independent Director for the second term of three years from March 25, 2024 to March 24, 2027, subject to shareholders’ approval,” the company said in the filing.

The IT major has revised FY24 revenue guidance to 1.5-2.0% against at 1-2.5% earlier. Meanwhile, it kept operating margin guidance unchanged to 20-22%.

The company today announced a definitive agreement to acquire InSemi, a leading semiconductor design and embedded services provider for ₹280 crore.

“This strategic investment further strengthens Infosys’ Engineering R&D capabilities and demonstrates its continued commitment to co-create with global clients to help them navigate their digital transformation journey,” the company said in its filing.

Infosys Ltd on Thursday reported a 7.3% year-on-year fall in its consolidated net profit (attributable to owners of the company) for the fiscal's third quarter ended December (Q3FY24) to ₹6,106 crore. Infosys had reported a profit of ₹6,586 crore in the year-ago period. The IT major's consolidated revenue was up 1.3 % on year to ₹38,821 crore from ₹38,318 crore.

Information Technology (IT) services major, Infosys Ltd on Thursday reported a a 1.7% sequential fall in its consolidated net profit (attributable to owners of the company) for the fiscal's third quarter ended December (Q3FY24) a ₹6,106 crore. Infosys had reported a profit of ₹6,212 crore in Q2FY24. Sequentially, the consolidated revenue was up just by 0.4%.

“We expect revenue to decline marginally by 0.1% QoQ on the backdrop of delayed decision-making and deeper furloughs. Margins are likely to contract because of wage hike, partially offset by reduced subcon costs. Key monitorables are the impact on the BFSI vertical post the banking crisis and commentary on other verticals,” said Axis Securities in its report. 

Because of the seasonality of fewer working days and higher furloughs, Q3FY24 is predicted to be a soft quarter. The majority of businesses' revenue growth is probably going to be between -4% and +4%, driven by furloughs, delayed deal execution, and decreased discretionary IT spending.

According to the brokerage, deal flow will remain steady, which should result in a significant revenue rebound in the upcoming quarters.

Infosys share price ended 1.62% lower ahead of Q3 results. Infosys stock price closed at ₹1520.70 apiece on BSE. 

Due to weak macros, furloughs, increased deal scrutiny, and delays in decision-making, the brokerage anticipates mixed trends for Tier-2 companies and muted revenue growth for Tier-1 IT service companies in a seasonally soft quarter.

“We expect q-o-q constant currency (cc) revenue growth of -2.5% - 4.4% for tier-1 Indian IT service companies and 0.9% - 5% CC revenue growth for tier-2 IT companies. Crosscurrency impact is expected to be marginal for most IT companies,” the brokerage said. 

Infosys’ growth is expected to be muted in the quarter led by weak demand environment, said Yes Securities. Commentary on outlook on attrition; deal environment and FY24 revenue and margin guidance would be key to watch out for.

Infosys share price has failed to give any significant returns in the past one year, underperforming its benchmark Nifty IT index. Infosys shares are up just nearly 2% in one year as compared with Nifty IT’s 21% rally during the same period.

The increased furloughs in Q3FY24 have exacerbated the weakness in the information technology services demand, affecting both tier-1 and tier-2 IT companies due to seasonality. The industry experiences a pause in discretionary spending, with no significant change in patterns, despite improved sentiment, said Abhishek Jain, Head of Research at Arihant Capital.

Jain believes adverse currency movements may hinder the reported growth of IT companies. He expects IT companies may report flat dollar revenue on YoY terms, while their EBIT and PAT in rupee terms may decline by 4% and 2% YoY in Q3FY24.

Sharp up-move in IT services stocks since mid-Dec Feb-pivot suggests the market has started pricing in demand inflection. We differ. First, we believe earning upgrades may not be as forthcoming as the market expects. Second, IT Services stocks did not correct despite sharp EPS downgrades in CY23, limiting scope of a mean-reversion. 

Further, recent moves have pushed up NSE IT’s earnings yields closer to US-10Y bond yield. Last time this happened (preGFC), yields spiked (or multiples contracted) before normalising. Though we don’t expect any spike given a possible soft-landing scenario, a drop in earning yield is also difficult to fathom, especially when the 10Y bond yields are likely to trend down, said JM Financial.

IT giants Infosys, Wipro and Tech Mahindra are likely to see a decline in their respective year-on-year (YoY) and quarter to quarter (QoQ) revenue in the December quarter, according to a report by Kotak Institutional Equities.

“We expect a weak quarter for IT Services companies as furloughs, weak discretionary spending and project cuts impact performance. Three of the big five IT services companies should report a yoy and qoq decline in revenues in the December 2023E quarter, while growth for the other two will trickle down to low-single digits," the report said. Read here

Infosys share price extended decline to trade lower on Thursday ahead of the Q3 results today. Infosys shares were trading 1.62% lower at ₹1,495.00 apiece on the BSE.

With improving macro sentiment and an estimated demand recovery for FY25, the IT stocks have rallied over the last two months. The 1-year forward P/E for the IT stocks stood at 26x, wherein Tier-2 looks expensive at 35x that translates into ~50% premium to the Tier-1 pack. 

Given the subdued near-term demand and the lack of any meaningful signs of recovery in discretionary IT spending, we expect the Tier-2 companies to reconcile their FY24 growth guidance before seeking any clarity on the CY24E budget cycle, Motilal Oswal said.

Infosys is expected to be a key beneficiary of the acceleration in digital and business transformations in the medium term.

JM Financial projects a 4-6% USD revenue growth guidance for Infosys based on 20-25% (at lower and upper-end) of FY24 net new TCV flowing into FY25 revenues. Given, longer tenure of deals won in FY24, 20-25% annual contribution seems reasonable; and assuming run-downs were spread out evenly through FY24, an impact of run-down similar to FY24 should be there in FY25 as well.

Amid results season for the third quarter of the current financial year, four IT majors — Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, HC Technologies, and Wipro are going to declare their respective Q3 results in the next two days. Out of these four IT majors, TCS and Infosys will be declaring their Q3 results today whereas HCL Technologies and Wipro are going to declare their third-quarter earnings tomorrow. 

According to stock market experts, IT companies are expected to deliver muted numbers due to macroeconomic headwinds and looming recession fears. So, the focus will be largely on their guidance as they expect a better business outlook for Indian IT majors. Read full report here

Infosys share price traded over a percent lower ahead of the announcement of Q3 results today. Infosys shares declined as much as 1.52% to an intraday low of ₹1,496.40 apiece on the BSE.  

Infosys shares underperformed the benchmark Nifty as the index was trading 0.2% higher. The Nifty IT index was trading flat with a positive bias. 

IT stocks have re-rated in the last several months on rate-cut hopes, leading to expensive valuations for many. Infosys provides comfort around growth acceleration and upside potential in the event of a significant recovery in discretionary spending, and it also trades at reasonable valuations, Kotak Institutional Equities said. Infosys continues to be its preferred pick.

Infosys is anticipated to deliver a 1% CC revenue contraction in Q3FY24. Headwinds are further project ramp-downs or cancellations, high, senior-level attrition, seasonal furloughs and budget tightening in key geographies. The recent termination of a $1.5 billion AI deal with an unnamed global company adds to growth headwinds in the near term. Demand may be broad-based and tepid, except for Manufacturing and Energy verticals. Expect margins to decline by 100 bps as Q3 may see a wage hike impact and furloughs, though partly offset by lower subcontracting costs, said Elara Capital.

The weakness in IT services demand has been further intensified by higher-than expected furloughs in 3QFY24. The seasonality is likely to hurt revenue growth and margin performances of both tier-1 and tier-2 IT companies. The industry has not witnessed any meaningful change in spending patterns, as discretionary spending continues to take a pause across enterprises. Although sentiment has improved, it has not yet been reflected in actions, Motilal Oswal Financial Services said.

Infosys’ dollar sales are expected to decline by 1.5% (CC: 1.5% QoQ dip) led by expected absence of certain one time sales accounted in 2Q, expected lower pass through sales (from a very elevated levels of 2Q despite pass through sales remains high in 3Q generally) and furloughs. EBIT margins are expected to dip by 68 bps QoQ led by expected wage hikes for all eligible employees eff. 3Q, absence of one time sales in 2Q to be partly compensated by expected lower pass through sales and currency benefits. 

We expect Infosys to fine tune its FY24E CC USD Sales growth guidance to 1-2% from current 1.0-2.5% with reiteration of EBIT margin guidance of 20-22%. We expect order book for large deals to decline and normalise QoQ from high base of 2Q, said Equirus Securities.

The Q3 results season starting today with the results of TCS and Infosys will provide indications of the Nifty earnings for FY24. Financials, capital goods, telecom, automobiles and hotels will post good numbers. IT results will be tepid and FMCG will be a mixed bag. More than broad market action, market responses will be stock-specific in response to results and management commentary, said V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Financial Services.

Infosys share price declined more than 1% ahead of Q3 results today which are expected to be weak. Infosys shares fell as much as 1.53% to ₹1,496.40 apiece on the BSE. The IT major is expected to post muted earnings for the quarter ended December 2023 with a drop in revenue and net profit.

Infosys’ growth is likely to be muted in the quarter led by weak demand environment. Commentary on outlook on attrition; deal environment and FY24 revenue and margin guidance would be key to watch out for, said Yes Securities.

Infosys’ Q3 revenue growth is expected to be weak at -1.7% QoQ CC, on account of continued macro challenges and additional 3Q seasonality. Operating margin is also likely to see an adverse impact, led by wage revision and weak growth, said Motilal Oswal Financial Services.

Deal pipeline remains healthy while closure remains a bit challenging due to slower decision making and furloughs. However, the conversion remains on track. We expect the operating margin at 20.2%, down -100bp QoQ  We expect the company to maintain its guidance on the back of healthy deal wins and strong pipeline, which are expected to support 4QFY24 growth, said the brokerage.

Infosys share price traded lower on Thursday ahead of the release of Q3 results today. Infosys shares opened at ₹1,523.00 apiece on the BSE as compared to its previous close of ₹1,519.65. Infosys stock was trading 0.45% lower at ₹1,512.75 apiece on the BSE. 

Infosys’ demand outlook in 4QFY24/CY24E, deal pipeline especially for large/mega size deals, client decision making, any major supplyside issues/attrition trends (including leadership attrition update if any) and pricing trends, details on FY24E/4QFY24E guidance would be key things to look for in Q3 results.

JM Financial is building in a -1% QoQ c/c revenue growth with ~15 bps cross currency headwinds translating into a -1.1% QoQ USD revenue growth for Infosys in Q3FY24. Expect EBIT margins to decline by 30 bps QoQ negatively impacted by two month impact of wage increment in November. Expect better utilisation, lower sub-con expenses and rupee depreciation to help offset part of the headwind, said the brokerage firm.

Infosys is expected to see CC revenue decline of 1.6% QoQ, said Phillip Capital. We don’t expect recent large deal wins to contribute meaningfully as ramp ups remain weak. Growth to be impacted due to furloughs, weakness in discretionary spending and cautious sentiment across major verticals Margins are expected to be impacted negatively by 110 bps due to two months of wage hikes impact in the quarter and furloughs, said the brokerage firm.

Infosys, the second largest IT services company in India, is set to announce its earnings for the fiscal third quarter ended December 2023 on Thursday, January 11. The company is expected to report weak Q3 results with a sequential drop in revenues and fall in margins. The overall Indian IT sector is expected to report subdued earnings for the third quarter FY24 as the ongoing weakness in IT services demand has worsened due to unexpectedly high furloughs. Read here

Infosys is expected to maintain its guidance on the back of healthy deal wins and strong pipeline, which are expected to support Q4FY24 growth.

“We expect Infosys to fine tune its FY24E CC USD Sales growth guidance to 1-2% from current 1.0-2.5% with reiteration of EBIT margin guidance of 20-22%. We expect the order book for large deals to decline and normalise QoQ from a high base of 2Q," Equirus Securities said.

Infosys Q3 operating performance is expected to be weak. The company's EBIT during the quarter ended December 2023 is likely to fall 6.2% to ₹7,763.7 crore from ₹8,274 crore in the September quarter. The company’s operating margin is likely to contract by 100 basis points (bps) QoQ to 20.2% impacted due to two months of wage hikes impact in the quarter and furloughs.

Infosys is expected to report a net profit of ₹6,172 crore during the quarter ended December 2023, registering a drop of 0.64% from ₹6,212 crore in the September quarter.

Growth to be impacted due to furloughs, weakness in discretionary spending and cautious sentiment across major verticals.

Infosys’ revenue in rupee terms in Q3FY24 is expected to fall 0.86% to ₹38,657 crore from ₹38,994 crore, QoQ. 

“We expect CC revenue to decline -1.6% QoQ. We don’t expect recent large deal wins to contribute meaningfully as ramp ups remain weak. Growth to be impacted due to furloughs, weakness in discretionary spending and cautious sentiment across major verticals," said Phillip Capital.

Infosys revenue in USD terms during the quarter ended December 2023 is expected to decline 1.61% to $4,642 million from $4,718 million in Q2FY24 on account of continued macro challenges and additional Q3 seasonality. Revenue in rupee terms in Q3FY24 is expected to fall 0.86% to ₹38,657 crore from ₹38,994 crore, QoQ. 

Infosys is expected to report weak Q3FY24 results with a sequential drop in revenues and fall in margins. Infosys Q3 results are likely to be in line with the overall IT sector earnings. However, better utilisation, lower sub-con expenses and rupee depreciation is likely to help offset part of the headwind for Infosys during the quarter.

Infosys, the second largest software services exporter in India, is set to announce its earnings for the third quarter of FY24 today, January 11. Infosys Q3 results are likely to be in line with the overall IT sector earnings. Infosys’ peer Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) will also announce its Q3 results today.