Strong Financial Performance
The impressive outperformance followed the company's strong financial disclosures for the third quarter of FY26. Tech Mahindra announced a net profit of ₹1,122 crore, a robust 14% increase year-on-year. However, this profit figure saw a 6% sequential dip, primarily attributed to the impact of new labour codes, which accounted for a ₹272.4 crore charge during the quarter. Revenue for the period showcased healthy growth, climbing 8.3% year-on-year to ₹14,393 crore, with a 2.8% uptick on a quarter-on-quarter basis.
Growth in the third quarter was bolstered by key sectors including manufacturing, retail, logistics, transport, and communications, which registered year-on-year increases of 11.7%, 11.7%, and 4.7% respectively. These segment performances contributed to the company's overall upward trajectory, demonstrating broad-based demand for its services.
Robust Deal Pipeline
New deal wins for the quarter were a significant highlight, reaching $1.1 billion. This represents a substantial 47% surge compared to the $745 million secured in the same period last year. On a sequential basis, the total contract value (TCV) also saw a strong increase of 34%, signaling a healthy pipeline and future revenue potential.
Analyst Divergence
Analysts at Emkay Global noted the 'all-round beat' driven by services growth and strong execution, particularly on a large European auto deal. They observed operating margins expand by approximately 100 basis points quarter-on-quarter to 13.1%, marking the ninth consecutive quarter of improvement, attributed to Project Fortius efficiencies. Despite this, Emkay reduced FY26 earnings per share estimates by 5.4% and maintained a 'Reduce' rating with a target price of ₹1,600, citing rich valuations.
Antique Stock Broking provided a more optimistic view, recognizing Tech Mahindra's strong performance across all parameters and a continuously improving margin trajectory. They believe the company is on track to achieve its 15% Ebit margin target by FY27 and expects its growth to surpass peer averages. Factoring in these strengths, Antique raised its FY27 and FY28 earnings per share estimates by 3% and 2%, respectively.
Nomura echoed positive sentiment, stating Tech Mahindra has made considerable progress midway through its three-year turnaround plan, supported by significant deal wins and a healthy backlog. The firm forecasts better-than-peer growth for FY27. Adjusting for Q3 performance and higher revenue/margin assumptions, Nomura marginally increased its target price to ₹1,810 from ₹1,750, while tweaking EPS estimates by approximately 3%. The company holds a market capitalization of ₹1.7 trillion.