Expert views - Infosys Q3 profit beats market expectations, shares jump

An employee walks out of an iconic pyramid-shaped building made out of glass in the Infosys campus at Electronics City in Bangalore, February 28, 2012.

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Infosys Ltd (INFY.NS) posted a flat third-quarter net profit, beating analyst expectations, as the second-largest Indian software services provider maintained margins despite higher operating costs. It also raised revenue forecast for the full-year to end March.

Infosys, whose customers include Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) and BT Group Plc (BT.L), said profit for the three months ended December 31 was 23.69 billion rupees compared with 23.7 billion rupees a year earlier. That compares with the average estimate of 21 billion rupees in a poll of 16 analysts, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Revenue rose 12 percent in October-December to 104.24 billion rupees from 93 billion a year earlier. That compares with analyst estimates of 96.8 billion rupees.

(To read main story on Infosys results, click here)

COMMENTARY

JAGANNADHAM THUNUGUNTLA, STRATEGIST, SMC GLOBAL SECURITIES, NEW DELHI

"Investors' expectations from Infosys were so low that even a slight uptick in the forecast will be cheered by the market, and that is helping their cause. The language of the guidance is also slightly better this time with the company saying they have a strong pipeline. This is something we are hearing after a long time.

"One cannot, however, make a firm opinion about the recovery with one set of data point and I think it will take couple of quarters to see whether the company is really on the path of recovery now."

RIKESH PARIKH, VICE-PRESIDENT, MARKETS STRATEGY AND EQUITIES, MOTILAL OSWAL SECURITIES, MUMBAI

"The numbers look better than estimated.

"The market was slightly predatory, given that the last two times the company has disappointed, but this time the organic guidance is better... which I think will be taken positively.

"A good start to the season."

SURESH PARMAR, ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT AND HEAD OF INSTITUTIONAL EQUITIES, KJMC CAPITAL MARKETS, MUMBAI

"Infosys could provide better results in a relatively bad environment. The stock was beaten down in the past and the downside is limited. We advise clients to buy the stock for long-term."

PARAS ADENWALA, MD & PRINCIPAL PORTFOLIO MANAGER, CAPITAL PORTFOLIO ADVISORS, MUMBAI

"Some short covering can be expected. One will see improvement in Infosys in particular and for IT sector in general. My sense is that de-rating would stop in a while as bottom has been formed."

(Reporting by India Equities team; Editing by Ranjit Gangadharan)