BUY

Results Update HCL Technologies Ltd Target Price

15th July 2024 IT Services Sector 1,730

Results In-line, Retained Guidance

(CMP as of 12 July 2024 )
Est. Vs. Actual for Q1FY25: Revenue – INLINE ; EBITDA Margin – INLINE ; PAT – CMP (Rs) 1,560
INLINE ; Deal Wins – INLINE
Upside /Downside (%) 11%
Changes in Estimates post Q1FY25 High/Low (Rs) 1,697/1,088
FY25E/FY26E: Revenue 1%/1%; EBITDA Margins 1%/1%; PAT 2%/2% Market cap (Cr) 4,23,440

Recommendation Rationale Avg. daily vol. (6m) Shrs. 20,41,582

No. of shares (Cr) 271.36
 Long-term demand still remains resilient: The long-term demand scenario continues
to remain strong and the IT sector is likely to regain its momentum in H2FY25 and
onwards. However, near-term demand remains uncertain due to which growth mentum Shareholding (%)
remains uncertain. Dec-23 Mar-24 Jun-24
 Secured deals to support medium-term demand momentum: The management is Promoter 60.8 60.9 60.9
also confident of gaining medium-term demand momentum, supported by the deals it has
FIIs 19.0 19.7 19.7
won in the previous quarters.
 Margins to remain stable: The management foresees stability in the company’s margins MFs / UTI 8.0 8.0 8.0
going forward. Banks / FIs 0.1 0.1 0.1
 Robust deal wins: Deal wins remain in line with expectations at $1.96 Bn, with 24 large Others 12.2 11.5 11.5
deals, including 11 deals involving Generative AI.
Sector Outlook: Cautiously positive Financial & Valuations
Y/E Mar
Company Outlook & Guidance: Revenue growth is expected to be in the range of 3%– FY24 FY25E FY26E
(Rs Cr)
5% YoY in CC. The management has retained its EBIT margin guidance of 18.0%–19.0% Net Sales 1,09,913 1,15,667 1,25,202
EBITDA 24,198 26,025 28,170
Current Valuation: 21x FY26E P/E; Earlier Valuation: 20x FY26E P/E
Net Profit 15,710 22,555 28,796
Current TP: 1,730/share (Earlier TP: Rs 1,550/share)
EPS (Rs) 58 75 83
Recommendation: We believe there are some green shoots in the demand environment and PER (x) 11 11 11
expect to witness a pickup in demand. Moreover, supply-side constraints are expected to
P/BV (x) 23 16 15
ease off in the medium term. Hence, we upgrade our recommendation on the stock to
EV/EBITDA (x) 14.35 12.84 11.43
BUY.
ROE (%) 23% 29% 28%
Financial Performance
In Q1FY25, HCL-Tech Ltd (HCLT) reported revenue of Rs 28,057 Cr, down 2% QoQ which Change in Estimates (%)
stood in line with expectations. The company’s operating profit stood at Rs 4,795 Cr, reporting Y/E Mar FY25E FY26E
a de-growth of 4% on a QoQ basis. In line with our expectations, the company’s operating
Sales 1% 1%
margins declined by 52bps to 17%, which was largely led by lower services revenue margins
and lower contribution from the P&P business during the quarter. Its net profit for Q1FY25 EBITDA 1% 1%
stood at Rs 4,257 Cr, registering growth of 7% QoQ. PAT 2% 2%

Outlook ESG disclosure Score**

We believe HCL Tech is well-placed for encouraging growth from a long-term perspective Environmental Disclosure 46.7
given its multiple long-term contracts with the world’s leading brands. Richer revenue visibility Social Disclosure Score 38.5
gives us confidence in its business growth moving forward. Moreover, we believe an
Governance Disclosure 89.9
encouraging demand environment will help eliminate uncertainty over discretionary spend. Score
Total ESG Disclosure Score 58.4
Valuation & Recommendation Sector Average 46.0
Source: Bloomberg, Scale: 0.1-100
We recommend a BUY rating on the stock and assign a 21x P/E multiple to its FY26E
**Note: This score measures the amount of ESG data a company reports
earnings of Rs 83/share to arrive at a TP of Rs 1,730/share. The TP implies an upside of 11% publicly and does not measure the company's performance on any data
point. All scores are based on 2022 disclosures
from the CMP.
Key Financials (Consolidated)
Relative performance
(Rs Cr) Q1FY25 QoQ (%) YoY (%) Axis Est. Variance 225
Net Sales 28,057 -2% 7% 28050 0% 125
EBIT 4,795 -4% 8% 4790 0% 25
Jan-23 May-23 Aug-23 Dec-23 Mar-24 Jul-24
EBIT Margin 17% 150 bps 10 bps 17% 0%
HCL Technologies Ltd. BSE Sensex
Net Profit 4,257 7% 20% 3715 15%
EPS (Rs) 15.7 14% 9% 14.1 15% Source: AceEquity, Axis Securities

Source: Company, Axis Research

Omkar Tanksale
Research Analyst
Email:[email protected]

1
Recommendation Rationale & Key Highlights

 Management confident of continuing demand strength in the medium term: The US is reviving with revenue
growth momentum as compared to Europe and is seeing higher cost optimization deals (with faster decision-
making). Nonetheless, the European market, too, is expected to see strong traction for ER&D and other
automation moving forward. As the macro environment stabilizes, the company expects a pick-up in clients’
decision-making.

 Telecom and Manufacturing vertical remain resilient: On the vertical front, Telecom & Media and Public
Services reported growth of 3.8% QoQ. The manufacturing vertical de-grew by 6.1%, while Technology and
services grew by 3.4% QoQ. The BFSI vertical reported a QoQ de-growth of 4.9% due to ramp-down of one large
client project. Life Sciences de-grew by 4.5%. The majority of the verticals witnessed tepid growth. On the brighter
side, they are likely to report excellent growth moving forward, backed by a strong deal pipeline.

 Steady geographical performance: On the geographical front, North America (66% of revenue) declined by 0.9%
QoQ and Europe (29% of revenue) de-grew by 5.5%. RoW (6.4% of revenue) grew 1.2% QoQ (in the CC terms)
respectively.

 Robust recovery in ER&D & IT Services declined: IT services (72% of Revenue) showed a de-growth of 1.8%
QoQ. ER&D services (16.4% of the revenue) posted a decline of 3.7% QoQ, aided by lacklustre traction for
automation. IT software (12.3% of the company’s revenue) improved by 0.9% QoQ. The near-term outlook remains
similar to the previous quarter but the management is confident about the company’s medium to long-term outlook.

 HCL-Tech closed 24 large deal wins: 13 are in services and 8 in software across industry verticals including
GenAI. New deal TCV in the quarter stood in line with our expectation at $1.96 Bn.

Key Risks to our Estimates and TP

 The demand environment is uncertain because of the potential threat of recession from the world’s largest
economies.

 The rising subcontracting cost and cross-currency headwinds may impact operating margins negatively.

2
Results Review (Rs Cr)

% change % change
In Cr Q1 FY25 Q4 FY24 Q1 FY24
(YoY) (QoQ)
Total Revenue 28,057 28,499 26,296 7% -2%
Total Cost of Sales 18,364 18,527 16,936
Gross Profit 9,693 9,972 9,360 4% -3%
Margin(%) 35% 35% 36% -105 -44
Research & Development 407 435 394
SG &A 3,492 3,426 3,579
Total Operating Expenses 22,263 22,388 20,909
EBITDA 5,793 6,111 5,387 8% -5%
Margin(%) 21% 21% 20% 16 -80
Depreciation 998 1,093 927
Operating Income 4,795 5,018 4,460 8% -4%
Margin(%) 17% 18% 17% 13 -52
Total Other Income/(Expense) 831 245 258
Income Before Income Taxes 3,964 4,773 4,718
Total Taxes 1,448 1,274 1,165
ETR (%) 37% 27% 25% 1184 984
Net Profit After Taxes 4,257 3,986 3,534 20% 7%
Non Controlling Interest 2 1 -3
Net Income After Extraordinary Items 4,257 3,986 3,534 20% 7%
Margin(%) 15% 14% 13% 173 119

EPS 15.7 14.7 13 21% 7%

Source: Company, Axis Securities

3
Financials (consolidated)
Profit & Loss (Rs Cr)
Y/E March FY22A FY23A FY24A FY25E FY26E
Net sales 85,651 1,01,456 1,09,913 1,15,667 1,25,202
Other operating income 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Total income 85,651 1,01,456 1,09,913 1,15,667 1,25,202
Total Expenditure
Employee benefit expenses 46,130 55,280 62,480 66,509 71,991
Outsourcing cost 12,515 14,950 14,578 15,615 16,902
Other Costs 5,070 6,593 6,860 7,518 8,138
Total Cost 65,121 78,828 85,715 89,642 97,032

EBITDA 20,530 22,628 24,198 26,025 28,170

Other income 1,067 1,358 1,495 1,735 626

PBIDT 21,597 23,986 25,693 27,760 28,796

Depreciation 4,326 4,145 4,173 4,627 4,181
Interest & Fin Chg. 319 353 553 578 600

Pre-tax profit 16,952 19,488 20,967 22,555 28,796

Tax provision 3,428 4,643 5,257 0 0
Profit after Tax 13,524 14,845 15,710 22,555 28,796
Other Comprehensive Income 0 0 0 0 0
PAT after Comprehensive Income 13,524 14,845 15,710 22,555 28,796
Source: Company, Axis Securities

Balance Sheet (Rs Cr)

Y/E March FY22A FY23A FY24A FY25E FY26E
Total assets 70,360 72,089 80,336 99,315 1,13,763
Net Block 5,612 5,371 5,612 5,371 0
CWIP 17,520 18,677 21,910 23,851 26,226
Investments 17,963 15,896 16,392 17,914 19,851
Wkg. cap. (excl cash) 8,595 6,640 20,971 23,627 26,824
Cash / Bank balance 20,671 25,506 15,453 28,554 40,862
Misc. Assets -1 -1 -1 -1 -1

Capital employed 70,360 72,089 80,336 99,315 1,13,763

Equity capital 543 543 543 543 543
Reserves 61,372 64,863 67,039 82,997 99,988
Minority Interests 92 -7 -7 -7 -7
Borrowings 3,526 3,485 3,480 3,480 3,480
Def Tax Liabilities 112 161 161 161 161
Source: Company, Axis Securities

4
Cash Flow (Rs Cr)
Y/E March FY22A FY23A FY24A FY25E FY26E
Sources -5,187 11,066 7,631 20,097 20,792
Cash profit 18,169 19,343 20,436 27,760 28,796
(-) Dividends 3,956 4,342 4,595 6,597 7,025
Retained earnings 14,213 15,001 15,841 21,163 21,772
Change in Oth. Reserves 3,925 -1,471 -7,652 -487 -380
Borrowings -765 59 -5 0 0
Others -22,560 -2,523 -553 -578 -600

Applications -5,187 11,066 7,631 20,097 20,792

Capital expenditure -5,318 5,793 8,991 6,418 6,418
Investments -2,667 1,793 757 798 841
Net current assets -4,210 -1,355 7,936 1,967 2,467
Change in cash 7,008 4,835 -10,053 13,101 12,308
Closing cash 20,671 25,506 15,453 28,554 40,862
Source: Company, Axis Securities

Ratio Analysis (%)

Y/E March FY22A FY23A FY24A FY25E FY26E

Sales growth 13.6 18.5 8.3 5.2 8.2

0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
OPM 24.0 22.3 22.0 22.5 22.5
Oper. profit growth 2.4 10.2 6.9 7.6 8.2
COGS / Net sales 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Depreciation / G. block -2031.0 -1256.1 1731.5 -1919.8 -77.8
Effective interest rate (%) 7.0 11.4 17.0 17.8 18.4

Net wkg.cap / Net sales 15% 9% 14% 21% 21%

Net sales / Gr block (x) 669% 736% 796% 826% 882%
0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
RoCE 25% 28% 30% 29% 26%
Debt / equity (x) 0 0 0 0 0
Effective tax rate 20 24 25 0 0
RoE 22% 23% 23% 29% 25%
Payout ratio (Div/NP) 25 25 25 25 25

EPS (Rs.) 50 55 58 75 83
EPS Growth 21 10 6 44 6
CEPS (Rs.) 66 70 73 100 104
DPS (Rs.) 12 14 14 21 22
Source: Company, Axis Securities

5
 HCL Technologies Price Chart and Recommendation History

(Rs)

Source: Axis Securities

Date Reco TP Research

03-Jan-22 BUY 1,520 Top Picks

17-Jan-22 BUY 1,600 Result Update
22-Apr-22 BUY 1,345 Result Update
13-Jul-22 HOLD 975 Result Update
13-Oct-22 BUY 1,065 Result Update
12-Dec-22 HOLD 1,090 Company Update
13-Jan-23 BUY 1,245 Result Update
21-Apr-23 BUY 1,245 Result Update
12-Jul-23 HOLD 1,200 Result Update
13-Oct-23 HOLD 1,250 Result Update
15-Jan-24 HOLD 1,610 Result Update
29-Apr-24 HOLD 1,510 Result Update
06-Jun-24 BUY 1,550 Company Update
01-Jul-24 BUY 1,650 Top Picks
15-Jul-24 BUY 1,730 Result Update

6
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RATING SCALE: Definitions of ratings

Ratings Expected absolute returns over 12 – 18 months

BUY More than 10%

HOLD Between 10% and -10%

SELL Less than -10%

NOT RATED We have forward looking estimates for the stock, but we refrain from assigning valuation and recommendation.

UNDER REVIEW We will revisit our recommendation, valuation and estimates on the stock following recent events

NO STANCE We do not have any forward-looking estimates, valuation or recommendation for the stock

Note: Returns stated in the rating scale are our internal benchmark.

List of Research Analyst (Fundamental):

Sr. No Name Designation Sector E-mail

1 Neeraj Chadawar Head of Research All Sectors [email protected]
2 Preeyam Tolia Research Analyst FMCG and Retail, Real Estate [email protected]
3 Omkar Tanksale Research Analyst IT, Telecom, Internet [email protected]
4 Uttamkumar Srimal Research Analyst Cement, Infra, Railway [email protected]
5 Ankush Mahajan Research Analyst Pharmaceutical, Hospital, Hotel [email protected]
6 Dnyanada Vaidya Research Analyst BFSI [email protected]
7 Aditya Welekar Research Analyst Metal and Mining, Power Utilities [email protected]
8 Sani Vishe Research Analyst Chemicals Capital Goods, Mid-cap [email protected]
9 Eesha Shah Research Analyst Real Estate, Special Situation [email protected]
10 Shridhar Kallani Research Associate Auto and Auto ancillaries [email protected]
11 Shikha Doshi Research Associate Cement, Infra, Railway [email protected]
12 Suhanee Shome Research Associate FMCG and Retail [email protected]
13 Shivani More Research Associate Chemicals Capital Goods, Mid-cap [email protected]
14 Pranav Nawale Research Associate BFSI [email protected]
15 Darsh Solanki Research Associate Metal and Mining, Power Utilities [email protected]
16 Arundhati Bagchi Research Associate Database Analyst, Economy Arundhati [email protected]

Digitally signed by
NEERAJ NEERAJ CHADAWAR
CHADAWAR Date: 2024.07.15
08:35:54 +05'30'