Bharti Airtel's first-quarter (April-June/Q1) performance for 2026-27 (FY27) surpassed estimates across most metrics, fuelled by robust growth in both its India and Africa operations, with significant increases in average revenue per user (Arpu) and subscriber additions.
Indian benchmark equity indices, Sensex and Nifty, saw early gains driven by strong buying in blue-chip bank stocks, fresh foreign fund inflows, and a decline in global crude oil prices, boosting investor confidence.
Indian benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, experienced declines in early trade due to a significant spike in crude oil prices, driven by escalating geopolitical uncertainties, despite positive cues from Asian and US markets.
Indian listed companies experienced their fastest revenue growth in 15 quarters during Q1FY27, with combined net sales rising 18.4% year-on-year, while net profit grew 16%, primarily driven by mining, metals, and banking sectors, despite a contraction in operating margins due to higher input costs.
Analysts predict that the Reserve Bank of India's interest rate decision, the evolving situation in West Asia involving the US-Iran conflict, and crude oil prices will be the primary factors influencing investor sentiment in the Indian stock market this week.
There has been a sharp recovery in the headline corporate earnings in the April-June 2023 quarter (Q1FY24), after a dismal showing by early bird companies. The combined net profit of the 983 listed companies that have declared their quarterly results, so far, was up 64.7 per cent year-on-year to record a high of Rs 2.68 trillion in the first quarter, but growth in earnings remained lopsided because most of the incremental gains came from a handful of companies. Moreover, the quarterly numbers showed a continued slowdown in revenue growth.
Telecom giant Bharti Airtel on Wednesday reported a 9.6 per cent fall in net profit at Rs 688.9 crore (Rs 6.88 billion) for the first quarter ended June 30, 2013.
Average data usage on Airtel India network grew about three fold to 2611 megabyte (about 2.5 GB) per customer from 904 MB on YoY basis. But the average revenue from the data services per customer declined by 22.7 per cent during the period.
From the Sensex pack, Bharti Airtel, Asian Paints, Infosys, Bharat Electronics, Tech Mahindra and Eternal were major laggards. However, Maruti, Tata Steel, Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv, Trent and Tata Consultancy Services were among the gainers.
RBI interest rate decision, macroeconomic data and global trends would guide markets' movement this week, analysts said. Besides, trading activity of foreign investors and the last batch of Q1 earnings announcements would also guide trends in equities. HSBC PMI (Purchasing Managers' Index) for the services sector is scheduled to be announced on Monday.
Equity markets this week will turn their focus on the RBI's interest rate decision, Q1 earnings from several blue-chip firms and tariff-related news for further cues, analysts said. Moreover, trading activity of foreign investors and trends in global equity markets will also drive investors' sentiment.
The combined profit before tax of 748 companies, which have declared their results for Q1FY21, is down 46 per cent YoY. Their net sales went down by a quarter as the Covid-19 lockdown led to a sharp fall in economic activity.
Among Sensex firms, Tata Steel, BEL, Adani Ports, Tata Consultancy Services, Tech Mahindra, Bharti Airtel, HCL Technologies, Trent, Mahindra & Mahindra, Reliance Industries, UltraTech Cement and Larsen & Toubro were the major gainers. However, Power Grid, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Hindustan Unilever were among the laggards.
The process of switching off the 3G network has already started with Kolkata in the recent-concluded June quarter. By September, the shutdown will be affected in 6-7 more circles and between December and March the entire 3G network would be shut down.
Titan, HCL Tech and State Bank of India were also among the laggards. However, Hindustan Unilever, Asian Paints, ICICI Bank, Power Grid, HDFC Bank and ITC were the gainers.
Benchmark Sensex and Nifty closed at new lifetime high levels on Monday on foreign fund inflows and buying in index majors HDFC Bank and Reliance Industries. The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 529.03 points or 0.80 per cent to settle at its new all-time closing high of 66,589.93. During the day, it climbed 595.31 points or 0.90 per cent to hit its lifetime intra-day peak of 66,656.20. The NSE Nifty went up by 146.95 points or 0.75 per cent to end at a new record high of 19,711.45.
From the Sensex pack, Reliance Industries jumped the most by 3.78 per cent. Tata Steel, Bharti Airtel, IndusInd Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, UltraTech Cement, ICICI Bank and Tata Motors were the other biggest gainers. Titan, HCL Technologies, Power Grid, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, Hindustan Unilever, Axis Bank and Nestle were among the major laggards.
While only 78.15 per cent of Jio's total subscriber base was active, Airtel boasts of 98.14 per cent active customers.
Sensex lacklustre, bluechips in focus.
Vodafone Idea (Vi) lost 12.4 million subscribers in the first quarter of FY22, the most since the fourth quarter of FY20, as the second wave of Covid hurt its operational and financial performance. Vi had managed to trim subscriber losses in the third and fourth quarters of FY21. However, it lost 12.4 million subscribers and its customer base shrunk to 255.4 million in the first quarter of FY22. Sequential fall in 4G users was modest, indicating that most of the loss was in the low-margin 2G segment.
The country's largest private telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Wednesday reported a decline of 32 per cent in consolidated net profit at Rs 1,682 crore (Rs 16.82 billion) during the first quarter ended June 30, due to the foreign exchange losses.
Major losers include Lupin 1.96 per cent, along with Tata Motors, Coal India and Sun Pharma.
Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have enough capacity to absorb over 113.9 million Vodafone Idea subscribers who are on 4G if Vodafone Idea has to shut operations.
Investors' wealth jumped Rs 2,93,054.25 crore on Thursday as markets returned to winning ways after falling for three straight sessions. The 30-share BSE benchmark Sensex zoomed 638.70 points or 1.22 per cent to close at 52,837.21. During the day, it gained 668.75 points to 52,867.26. Tracking the bullish trend, the market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies jumped Rs 2,93,054.25 crore to reach Rs 2,33,94,917.25 crore.
Gains were led by index heavyweights with Reliance Industries contributing the most.
Not surprisingly, equity investors are bidding-up stock prices across sectors and the broader market is now more valuable than pre-Covid levels.
Banking shares saw a renewed buying interest on the hopes of a rate-cut by the central bank post the easing of macro-economic data.
Sensex dull at close, Infosys rules, ITC drags.
Top losers in the Sensex pack on Friday included Bajaj Finance, ONGC, IndusInd Bank, PowerGrid, L&T, Axis Bank, NTPC, Bharti Airtel, HDFC, HDFC Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank, falling up to 2.08 per cent.
'The mismatch between valuations and fundamentals is startling,' warns Devangshu Datta
Covering-up of pending short positions on expiry of the July derivatives contracts and a strengthening rupee propped up the markets at high levels
After a positive opening, the 30-share BSE Sensex suddenly faced selling pressure in late-afternoon trade. It finally settled just 5.67 points, or 0.01 per cent, lower at 39,586.41.
After 3 weeks of consecutive rally, this week was a breather for the index, which corrected by almost 1.5%.
Sensex ended above 26,000 led by telecom shares amid TRAI's spectrum sharing norms.
In effect, companies which put their money in telecom in India would have done much better to keep the cash in bank and earn interest.
Investors turned cautious ahead of the US Fed meet outcome later today and July F&O expiry.
Asian Paints was the top gainer after the paints major posted robust first quarter earnings.
Reliance Industries was the top Sensex gainer up 5.6% after the company reported better-than-expected net profit growth at 12% in the second-quarter aided hby higher gross refining margins.
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Infosys, Wipro and HUL among the top losers for the day.
