HCLTech profit rises 21% on record deal bookings
The move
HCLTech reported fiscal second-quarter net profit of 5,132 crore rupees, up 21% year over year, on revenue of 35,620 crore rupees, up 11.5%, for the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2026, the company said. New deal bookings rose 27% to about $3.26 billion, a first-half record, and the board declared a 12-rupee-a-share interim dividend. Shares rallied the next trading day.
Why it matters
Strong bookings suggest enterprise clients are still signing new IT and AI-services contracts even as some peers describe a more cautious spending environment.
The bear case
HCL's software unit revenue fell 11.2% in constant currency, and the company left its full-year revenue growth guidance unchanged at a modest 2.5%-4%, so the quarter wasn't a breakout across the whole business.
What to watch
Whether this quarter's record bookings convert into faster revenue growth later in the fiscal year.