Bharti Airtel Stock Hits New High on Strong Q2 FY26 Earnings

Bharti Airtel Limited's shares surged to a new intraday high of ₹2,130.85 on the BSE, marking a 3% increase. This rally was driven by the company's robust financial results for the second quarter of the financial year 2026 (Q2 FY26), which concluded in September 2025. The telecom giant reported a consolidated net profit of ₹8,651 crore, more than doubling from ₹4,153 crore in the same quarter last year. Consolidated revenue saw a substantial year-on-year increase of 25.7%, reaching ₹52,145 crore, fueled by strong performance in both India and Africa.

Consolidated EBITDA stood at ₹29,561 crore, with margins at 56.7%. The company added 5.1 million smartphone subscribers during the quarter, contributing to a total of 22.2 million smartphone data users over the past 12 months. A key metric, Average Revenue Per User (ARPU), improved to ₹256 from ₹233 a year ago. The company also saw a strong addition of approximately 0.95 million post-paid subscribers. Bharti Airtel's board also approved acquiring an additional 5% stake in Indus Towers.

Impact: This strong performance and positive outlook significantly boost investor confidence in Bharti Airtel and the Indian telecom sector. The stock's rally to new highs reflects market approval of its growth strategies and execution. Brokerage firms like ICICI Securities and Motilal Oswal Financial Services have reiterated 'Buy' ratings, citing healthy ARPU growth, subscriber additions, margin expansion, and the company's strong execution in premiumization. Target prices suggest further upside potential. Rating: 9/10

Difficult Terms: Consolidated Net Profit: The total profit of a company and all its subsidiaries after deducting all expenses, interest, and taxes. Consolidated Revenue: The total income generated from the sales of goods or services by a company and all its subsidiaries. EBITDA: Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization. It is a measure of a company's operating performance, excluding financing costs and non-cash expenses. ARPU (Average Revenue Per User): A key performance indicator for telecom companies, representing the average revenue generated by each subscriber over a specific period.