HCL Technologies: Slowdown in product biz remains a key risk

Bengaluru: IT services major HCL Technologies is likely to post strong revenue growth numbers in the near term as strong deal wins, sustained demand momentum in cloud & engineering segment will support this trend. However, there is a bumpy road ahead for the IT company's product & platform business, posing some risks to its growth path.

In the second quarter ended September, HCL Technologies posted a 3.5 per cent sequential growth in revenues, which was 10.5 per cent over the same period of last year in constant currency term. The Noida-headquartered company signed 14 large new deals during this period which pushed its net new booking to $2.3 billion, a growth of 38 per cent over last year. However, growth in product and platform business slowed down due to delay in closure of a few deals.

On a combined basis, HCL Technologies should deliver dollar revenue growth of 13.1 per cent over FY21-23 period. We expect EBIT margin to stabilize at 20 per cent in FY23," said brokerage firm Motilal Oswal in a research note.

Experts also pointed out that the company is front-ending its employee addition to tide over the supply issues faced by the industry.

"There is a big divergence between revenue growth and employee addition at HCLT over the last four quarters. We view the front ending of employee addition (around 35,000 over the

last four quarters) as a smart move and a safeguard against the current supply crunch," said Motilal Oswal in the note.

However, the key risk to its growth prospects arises from a likely subdued growth from product & platform (P&P) business. In the September quarter, HCLT lowered revenue guidance from Product &Platforms (P&P) from earlier lower single digit growth in FY22 to flat revenues. This segment had a $25 million revenue slippage during the September quarter.

"HCLT's Products and Platforms business, which also houses software acquired from IBM, has been witnessing multiple challenges like discontinuation of certain products, decline in Q2FY22 revenue led by end of quarter delays in deal signings, and resignation of CEO of HCL Software, Darren Oberst," wrote the brokerage firm.

Particularly, exit of Darren Oberst, head of HCL Software that accounts for about 12 per cent of HCLT revenue, is seen as a risk to sustainable recovery to P&P business.

Meanwhile, the board's decision for higher capital allocation policy indicates a strategic shift towards focus on organic growth.