18 large deals won – six in Services and 12 in Software Operating margin at 19.8%, up 126 bps QoQ Attrition falls to 12.8%, a seven-year low
HCLTech, a leading global technology company, announced its financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2023.
“Our results this quarter have been remarkably strong, driven by strong momentum in both services and software businesses and a stellar operating margin. HCLSoftware’s performance was another bright spot and we are excited about its strategic progress over the last year”
For the quarter, revenue came in at $3.415 billion, up 5.9% QoQ and 5.3% YoY. EBIT margin in the quarter was 19.8%, an expansion of 126 bps QoQ, underscoring strong execution and cost efficiencies. The company won 18 large deals – six in Services and 12 in Software, with TCV of almost $2 billion. The company announced a dividend of ₹12 per equity share for the quarter.
Services revenue grew by 3.1% QoQ in constant currency and crossed an annual run rate of $12 billion. HCLSoftware revenue for the quarter was up 5% YoY with an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of over $1 billion.
“Our results this quarter have been remarkably strong, driven by strong momentum in both services and software businesses and a stellar operating margin. HCLSoftware’s performance was another bright spot and we are excited about its strategic progress over the last year,” said C Vijayakumar, CEO & Managing Director, HCLTech. “We continue to invest in AI, specifically Generative AI as well as cloud native capabilities across our products and services to address evolving client needs. We remain confident of our continued growth momentum enabled by our business mix, our people and laser-sharp focus on delivering innovation and hyper-automation to our clients.”
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Revenues from Europe grew at 5% QoQ (CC) and Americas grew at 3.1% QoQ. Industry vertical growth was led by Telecom and Media, followed by Manufacturing, Retail and CPG. The Engineering and R&D Services business (ERS) grew by 8.7% QoQ, with strong contribution from the company’s recent acquisition of ASAP, based in Europe.
The company has given constant currency revenue guidance of 5%-5.5% for FY24 and retained its EBIT margin guidance of 18-19% for the year.
“HCLTech delivered a stellar quarter with sequential growth driven by HCLSoftware and a spurt in the Telecom vertical and the ER&D segment. Our Services revenue has crossed a significant milestone of $12 billion (₹100,000 Crores) on a run rate basis. We also delivered the highest ever EBIT of $5,615 Crores (up 7.4% YoY) and Net Profit of ₹4,350 Crores (up 6.2% YoY) this quarter. LTM Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) stands at solid 32.8% for the company (up 301 bps YoY). Cash conversion (on LTM basis) continues to be healthy with OCF/NI at 142% and FCF/NI at 135%,” said Prateek Aggarwal, Chief Financial Officer, HCLTech.
Attrition (LTM) rate for the quarter moderated further to 12.76% from 14.2% in Q2 FY24 and 21.7% YoY. The company reported a net addition of over 3,600 people, taking its total headcount to over 224,700 across 60 countries.
HCLTech continues to leverage technologies from GenAI to cloud computing to help clients future-proof their businesses.
Among the select GenAI deals that HCLTech won in the quarter are:
- A US-based global communication services provider selected HCLTech to implement GenAI in fields such as software engineering, analytics, network activation, call center agent experience, infrastructure, among others.
- A US-based chemicals manufacturer partnered with HCLTech to enhance its sustainability efforts and develop a state-of-the-art solution for real-time ESG reporting and analytics tools using GenAI.
- A leading US-based financial services firm has engaged HCLTech to evaluate GenAI solutions integrated with cloud technology. These solutions are tailor-made for critical applications, featuring areas such as risk management analytics, predictive modeling and anomaly detection.
Other Achievements:
- Only service provider to win six 2023 ISG Star Of Excellence Awards. 150+ participants evaluated for the awards, based on scores received from 2,250 unique customers.
- Highest ranked India-headquartered IT company in the Forbes Best Employers List 2023. Ranked seventh globally in the Professional Services category.
- Won the gold award at the 3rd ICAI International Sustainability Reporting Awards for Climate Action Reporting.