Sector Alpha Week of 2026-07-24
Sector Alpha — machine-written from the numbers · Data as of 2026-07-24

HFCL Ltd

HFCL
Telecom Services

HFCL Ltd's price has outrun its earnings. +161.4% in a year against EPS +65.9% — the market is paying now for delivery later.

The sharpest disagreement: profits are rising, but only −3% of the last 3 years' profit arrived as operating cash — the gap between the P&L and the bank account is the thing to watch.

The price is in a confirmed uptrend (12 weeks in) while the P/E sits at the 93rd percentile of its own 10-year range. Underneath, the last four quarters read improving, and −3% of the last 3 years' profit arrived as cash. What settles it: whether the cash starts following the profit.

Stage
Turning around
partial read
Price
₹213
+161.4% 1Y
P/E
52.6×
93rd pctile
of its own 10-year range
Revenue (Jun 26)
₹1,915 Cr
+119.9% YoY
Profit (Jun 26)
₹246 Cr
Operating margin
22.0%
+19.0 pp YoY
ROCE
11%
FY26
Cash conversion
−3%
of profit, last 3 FY
Withheld from this page: Part of this page is deliberately not drawn: its two data sources disagree by up to 9.8% on reported income across 14 comparable periods, so nothing from the second source is placed here — the quarterly PEG curve, the quarterly return curves, the annual return-on-invested-capital overlay, the total-debt and debt-to-equity series and the F-score and the return-on-invested-capital reading are absent for that reason. A figure two sources cannot agree on is not drawn — the gap is a decision, not missing data. The quarterly history also begins where the primary source begins: 6 earlier quarters the second source carries are not spliced in front of it. Extending a reported profit series is stricter than showing a ratio chart — it needs a source that has been checked.
01 · Price story

Price story Before the numbers, the tape. A stock price moves through four repeating seasons: a flat base (stage 1), an advance (2), a top (3), a decline (4). Where the price sits in that cycle frames everything below.

HFCL Ltd trades at ₹213, in a confirmed uptrend and 12 weeks into that stage. That is +73.9% against its own 200-day average. It sits at 97% of a 52-week range of ₹61 to ₹217. On relative strength it has been ahead of the NIFTY 500 on a trailing-13-week view for 28 straight weeks.

Today the stock is in a confirmed uptrend — week 12 of stage 2, confirmed. At ₹213 it trades +73.9% versus its 200-day average and sits at 97% of its 52-week range (₹61–₹217).

Jul 26: ₹213 Weekly closing price (₹) with 50- and 200-day averages; shaded bands mark the price stage (grey base, green advance, amber top, red decline). 3-year window.
+73.9% versus the 200-day line, week 12 of stage 2
Price50-day avg200-day avg
S2S2S4S2₹230₹184₹139₹93.9₹48.6₹213₹123Jul 23Apr 24Feb 25Nov 25Jul 26
S2S2S4S2₹230₹184₹139₹93.9₹48.6₹213₹123Jul 23Feb 25Jul 26
Beating or trailing, week by week since 2016 Each cell is one week from 2016 to now (549 weeks): the stock's trailing 13-week return minus the NIFTY 500's, green ahead / red behind (±25% ramp). Grey cells are the 13-week warm-up or weeks where the NIFTY 500 reading is not held.
trailing 13-week return vs the NIFTY 500
Feb 16Jul 26

Against the market, two honest reads. Cumulative: over the last 10.4 years the stock moved +1,154% while the NIFTY 500 moved +280% — ahead of the index over the full window. Recent form: on a trailing-13-week view the stock has been ahead for 28 straight weeks — the ribbon below is that same metric, week by week.

What would end the trend, mechanically: two Friday closes in a row below the 200-day line. That is the exit rule — no debates.

→ The trend is one thing; the bill is another. Are you paying up for it? Next: the P/E sits at the 93rd percentile of its own range.

02 · Valuation

Valuation P/E is the price of ₹1 of annual profit: how many rupees the market pays for each rupee the company earns in a year.

HFCL Ltd trades at 52.6× P/E, at the pricey end of its own range (93rd percentile). Its long-run median P/E is 27.5×, measured across 10.4 years of weekly readings. This places the multiple against the stock’s own record, and says nothing about what the business is worth.

Today's P/E of 52.6× is at the pricey end of its own range (93rd percentile), against a long-run median of 27.5× measured over 10.4 years of weekly readings. This is a comparison against the stock's own history — not a claim about what it is worth.

P/E 52.6× vs a 27.5× long-run median P/E, weekly (left axis); earnings per share, trailing twelve months, weekly (right axis). 10.4-year window; loss-period spikes above 83× shown pinned at the top. The eps (ttm) bars are red where the reading is lower than the quarter before.
at the pricey end of its own range (93rd percentile)
P/EMedianEPS (TTM) (quarterly)
88.8×₹4.166.6×₹3.144.4×₹2.022.2×₹1.00.0×₹0.0×52.20×₹4Feb 16Jul 18Jan 21Jun 23Jul 26
88.8×₹4.166.6×₹3.144.4×₹2.022.2×₹1.00.0×₹0.0×52.20×₹4Feb 16Jan 21Jul 26
P/E
52.6×
93rd percentile of 10y

🚨 Why the multiple sits where it does: over the past year annual EPS moved +65.9% against a +161.4% price move — the price outran earnings, pushing the multiple UP its own range.

The price move, decomposed: over 5y, of the +21.6%/yr price move, ~+9.5%/yr came from earnings growth and ~+12.1 pp from the multiple (expanding); over 10y, of the +27.4%/yr price move, ~+2.3%/yr came from earnings growth and ~+25.1 pp from the multiple (expanding). The split is the honest approximate (price return minus earnings growth); it makes the rally itself visible instead of hiding it behind the percentile.

Put together: the multiple is full against its own past, so the story rests on the earnings line underneath it, not the multiple.

A quarterly PEG curve, which only the second data source carries, is not drawn on this page: its two data sources disagree by up to 9.8% on reported income across 14 comparable periods. A figure two sources cannot agree on is not drawn — the gap is a decision, not missing data.

→ Cheap or dear rides on the earnings. Are they actually growing? Next: the fundamental stage — where the business sits in its arc, and how growth has compounded.

03 · Stage: Turning around

Stage: Turning around Every business sits somewhere on a fundamental arc, and this page names the spot before anything else. The last twelve quarters of revenue, profit and EPS growth — plus the return the business earns on its capital — are read as curves: Deteriorating (the curves are falling), Turning around (a trough has just formed and the last few quarters lift off it), Improving (the climb off the trough is sustained), Consistent (steadily positive with healthy returns), Topping out (still high but decelerating from the peak). When the curves genuinely disagree the read is Mixed; too little history is No read. CAGR (compound annual growth rate) is the smooth yearly pace that turns the starting value into the latest one — the fairest way to compare growth across different time spans. Read the columns together: if the 1-year number towers over the 10-year, recent growth is running hotter than the long-run trend. A dash means that window is not held, or the base year was a loss (where a growth rate is not meaningful).

HFCL Ltd reads as turning around on its fundamental arc. Turning around — profit growth swung from −90.9% at the trough to +1676.5%, a 3-quarter improving streak, ROCE holding at 11.0%. The read is built from 8 quarters across 4 curves, on partial evidence.

Three growth curves, twelve quarters Year-on-year growth of trailing-twelve-month revenue (left axis), profit and EPS (right axis — they swing far wider), % at each quarter-end. Base-effect spikes shown pinned (▲). A missing point means that reading is not held for the quarter.
the trajectory the stage is read from
RevenueProfitEPS
65%331%42%218%20%104%−2.9%−10.0%−25%−124%%%58.6%300%300%Sep 23Dec 24Jun 26
65%331%42%218%20%104%−2.9%−10.0%−25%−124%%%58.6%300%300%Sep 23Dec 24Jun 26
ROCE Annual readings — the quarterly balance-sheet pieces this curve needs are not held for this stock, so the returns read moves once a year and carries less weight in the call.
the return curve, annual readings
ROCE
16%14%12%9.5%7.4%%11%FY23FY24FY26
16%14%12%9.5%7.4%%11%FY23FY24FY26
Revenue growth
Recovering
latest +58.6% · span −19.2% to +58.6%
Profit growth
Rising
latest +1,676.5% · span −91.2% to +1,676.5%
EPS growth
Rising
latest +1,470.8% · span −92.4% to +1,470.8%
ROCE
Stuck low
latest 11.0% · span 8.0%–15.0%

Why it matters: growth inflections are where re-ratings start — the curves say a turn is forming, so the question becomes whether the next quarters confirm it.

Return readings here are annual, not quarterly — read as level and direction only; they can confirm the growth curves but never drive the stage on their own.

A partial read: at least one curve is short, or the returns curve is not the computed quarterly series — hold the stage word a little more loosely.

Growth, year by year: revenue +21.7% in FY26, profit +90.2% Year-over-year growth per fiscal year, %: revenue (left axis); net profit and EPS (right axis — profit growth swings far wider). Zero line drawn.
Revenue YoYProfit YoYEPS YoY
58%102%35%60%13%19%−9.6%−22%−32%−63%%%21.7%90.2%FY16FY21FY26
58%102%35%60%13%19%−9.6%−22%−32%−63%%%21.7%90.2%FY16FY21FY26
TTM growth by quarter Trailing-twelve-month growth versus the year-ago TTM, per quarter, %: revenue (left axis); profit and EPS (right axis). The acceleration read compares the last 4 quarters (+58.6%) with the last 8 annualized (+13.8%). Spikes shown pinned (▲).
revenue accelerating, profit accelerating
Revenue TTM YoYProfit TTM YoYEPS TTM YoY
65%331%42%218%20%104%−2.9%−10.0%−25%−124%%%58.6%300%Sep 23Dec 24Jun 26
65%331%42%218%20%104%−2.9%−10.0%−25%−124%%%58.6%300%Sep 23Dec 24Jun 26
Compound annual growth rate (%) Compound annual growth rate over each window, %. Revenue, profit and EPS from fiscal-year figures; share price is the price CAGR over the same spans. A dash = that window is not held, or the base was a loss.
1yr3yr5yr10yr
Revenue+21.7%+1.4%+2.3%+5.6%
Profit+90.2%+1.1%+6.0%+7.7%
EPS+65.9%−2.2%+1.9%+4.9%
Share price+161.4%+49.3%+21.6%+27.4%
Revenue YoY (Jun 26)
+119.9%
latest quarter vs a year ago
Revenue 10y
5.6%
long-run compound pace

→ The stage names the trajectory. Next: the revenue line that produces it, quarter by quarter.

04 · 4-Factor Sector Score

4-Factor Sector Score

66.5/100 — rank 3 of 18 in Telecom Services · 75% evidence confidence

HFCL Ltd scores 66.5 out of 100 against the 18 companies it is compared with in Telecom Services, ranking 3. Balanced evidence: keep at normal research priority and require another comparable period before raising conviction.

The four contributions add to the total exactly: 26 + 14.5 + 6 + 20 = 66.5. This is the SAME number shown on the sector comparison — it is computed once, for the whole peer set, and read here.

What would change it: The read weakens if profit growth turns negative or margin improvement reverses while sector-relative strength deteriorates.

05 · Revenue

Revenue Revenue is the top line: everything the company billed its customers in the period.

HFCL Ltd reported ₹1,915 Cr of revenue in the Jun 26 quarter, +119.9% year on year. That is the 3rd straight quarter of year-on-year growth. Over 10 years it has compounded at 5.6% a year. The last full year, FY26, came in at ₹4,949 Cr. The last four reported quarters add to ₹5,993 Cr.

HFCL Ltd reported ₹1,915 Cr of revenue in the Jun 26 quarter, +119.9% year on year. That is the 3rd straight quarter of year-on-year growth. Over 10 years it has compounded at 5.6% a year. The last full year, FY26, came in at ₹4,949 Cr. The last four reported quarters add to ₹5,993 Cr.

FY26 revenue came in at ₹4,949 Cr (+21.7% on the year), capping 10 years at 5.6% compound. The latest quarter (Jun 26) printed ₹1,915 Cr, +119.9% year on year — the 3rd consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth.

FY26 revenue ₹4,949 Cr (+21.7% YoY) Revenue bars, ₹ Cr (left); YoY growth-% line (right). 11-year window. A bar is red when it is lower than the year before.
5.6% a year over 10 years
RevenueYoY growth
5.3k58%4.0k35%2.7k13%1.3k−9.6%0−32%₹ Cr%₹4,94921.7%FY16FY21FY26
5.3k58%4.0k35%2.7k13%1.3k−9.6%0−32%₹ Cr%₹4,94921.7%FY16FY21FY26
Jun 26: ₹1,915 Cr (+119.9% YoY) Quarterly revenue bars, ₹ Cr (left); YoY growth-% line (right). Last 12 quarters. A bar is red when it is lower than the quarter before.
3rd straight quarter of growth
Revenue (quarterly)YoY growth
2.1k141%1.6k93%1.0k44%517−4.5%0−53%₹ Cr%₹1,915119.9%Sep 23Dec 24Jun 26
2.1k141%1.6k93%1.0k44%517−4.5%0−53%₹ Cr%₹1,915119.9%Sep 23Dec 24Jun 26

Pace check: the last four quarters averaged +65.7% growth against the decade's 5.6% — the current year is running faster than its own long-run rate.

Acceleration check: trailing-twelve-month revenue grew +58.6% over the last 4 quarters against +13.8%/yr over the last 8 — accelerating; TTM profit +1,676.5% vs +27.4%/yr — accelerating.

→ Revenue grew — did margins hold as it scaled? Next: 22.0% this quarter (+19.0 pp YoY).

06 · Operating margin

Operating margin Operating margin is what is left of every ₹100 of sales after running the business, before interest and tax. It is the cleanest read on pricing power and cost control.

HFCL Ltd's operating margin is 22.0% in the Jun 26 quarter, +19.0 percentage points against the same quarter a year ago. That is the widest this company has ever printed on a full-year basis. Across 13 fiscal years the operating margin has ranged 8.0% to 15.0%. The current quarter is running above every full year in that window.

HFCL Ltd's operating margin is 22.0% in the Jun 26 quarter, +19.0 percentage points against the same quarter a year ago. That is the widest this company has ever printed on a full-year basis. Across 13 fiscal years the operating margin has ranged 8.0% to 15.0%. The current quarter is running above every full year in that window.

The latest quarter's operating margin is 22.0%, +19.0 pp against the same quarter a year ago. Across 13 fiscal years the operating margin has ranged 8.0%–15.0%, and FY26's 15.0% is the top of that band — a record year.

Why the margin moved: operating margin went +18.4 pp year on year while gross margin went +11.7 pp — the gain came mostly from the gross line: input costs and pricing.

Worth repeating from the valuation section: cheap against its own history on record margins is not the same thing as cheap — a record margin flatters every ratio built on top of it.

FY26: 15.0% Operating margin by fiscal year, %, line (left); year-on-year change in the margin, in percentage points, line (right). 13-year window.
the widest a 8.0–15.0% band over 13 years
operating marginYoY change (pp)
16%4.5%14%2.7%12%1.0%9.5%−0.7%7.4%−2.5%%%15%4%FY14FY20FY26
16%4.5%14%2.7%12%1.0%9.5%−0.7%7.4%−2.5%%%15%4%FY14FY20FY26
Jun 26: 22.0% operating margin (+19.0 pp YoY) Quarterly operating margin, %, line (left); year-on-year change in the margin, in percentage points, line (right). Last 12 quarters. Operating profit as a share of revenue, per quarter.
Operating marginYoY change (pp)
24%25%16%13%8.5%1.0%0.7%−11%−7.2%−23%%%22%19%Sep 23Dec 24Jun 26
24%25%16%13%8.5%1.0%0.7%−11%−7.2%−23%%%22%19%Sep 23Dec 24Jun 26

→ Margins held — did that reach the bottom line? Next: profit null in the latest quarter.

07 · Net profit

Net profit Net profit is what survives every cost, interest and tax — the number EPS, dividends and book value all grow from.

HFCL Ltd earned ₹246 Cr of net profit in the Jun 26 quarter. Full-year FY26 profit was ₹329 Cr. The 10-year compound rate is 7.7%. That is 12.8% of the quarter's revenue. The same quarter a year earlier lost ₹29.0 Cr. 2 of the last 12 reported quarters were loss-making.

HFCL Ltd earned ₹246 Cr of net profit in the Jun 26 quarter. Full-year FY26 profit was ₹329 Cr. The 10-year compound rate is 7.7%. That is 12.8% of the quarter's revenue. The same quarter a year earlier lost ₹29.0 Cr. 2 of the last 12 reported quarters were loss-making.

Jun 26 profit was ₹246 Cr, null year on year. On the full year, FY26 printed ₹329 Cr (+90.2%), and the 10-year compound rate is 7.7%.

FY26 profit ₹329 Cr (+90.2% YoY) Net profit bars, ₹ Cr (left); YoY growth-% line (right). 11-year window. A bar is red when it is lower than the year before.
7.7% a year over 10 years
Net profitYoY growth
365102%27460%18319%91−22%0−63%₹ Cr%₹32990.2%FY16FY21FY26
365102%27460%18319%91−22%0−63%₹ Cr%₹32990.2%FY16FY21FY26
Jun 26: ₹246 Cr (null YoY) Quarterly net profit bars, ₹ Cr (left); YoY growth-% line (right). Last 12 quarters. A bar is red when it is lower than the quarter before.
Net profit (quarterly)YoY growth
27264%1770.0%82−65%−14−129%−109−194%₹ Cr%₹24639.7%Sep 23Dec 24Jun 26
27264%1770.0%82−65%−14−129%−109−194%₹ Cr%₹24639.7%Sep 23Dec 24Jun 26

→ Profit rose — but did the cash follow? Next: −3% of the last 3 years' profit arrived as cash.

08 · Cash flow — the router

Cash flow — the router The P&L says what was earned; the cash-flow statement says what actually arrived. Operating cash flow (CFO) against profit is the cleanest lie detector in the accounts.

Over the last 3 fiscal years −3% of HFCL Ltd's reported profit arrived as operating cash — a gap worth watching. In FY26 that was ₹−378 Cr of operating cash against ₹329 Cr of profit. After ₹405 Cr of capital spending, ₹−783 Cr was left as free cash. Cash resolution here is annual, because quarterly cash statements are not published.

FY26: operating cash of ₹−378 Cr against reported profit of ₹329 Cr, leaving free cash of ₹−783 Cr after ₹405 Cr of capital spending. Across the last 3 fiscal years the conversion rate is −3% of profit.

Cash-flow readings here are annual — that is the resolution our series carries, so this section moves once a year.

FY26: CFO ₹−378 Cr vs profit ₹329 Cr Operating cash flow and net profit by fiscal year, ₹ Cr; the line is free cash flow (CFO minus capital spending). 11-year window, annual resolution.
−3% of 3-year profit arrived as cash
Operating cashNet profitFree cash
490148−194−535−877₹ Cr₹−378₹329₹−783FY16FY21FY26
490148−194−535−877₹ Cr₹−378₹329₹−783FY16FY21FY26
FY26: CFO = −115% of profit (three-year rate −3%) Operating cash as a share of net profit, per fiscal year, % (line). Dashed line = 100% — every unit of profit arriving as cash.
Conversion100%
257%157%57%−43%−143%%−115%FY16FY21FY26
257%157%57%−43%−143%%−115%FY16FY21FY26

🚨 Why conversion sits at −3%: the cash cycle stretched 192 days between FY21 and FY26 — more of each rupee of profit waits inside the cycle before arriving. Less than 70% of profit arriving as cash is the thing to watch on this page.

Router verdict: conversion is below par and the cash cycle has stretched 192 days — the next section's job is to find where the cash is stuck.

→ So follow the cash to where it goes. Next: the 210-day cycle, in money terms.

09 · Where the cash goes

Where the cash goes Working capital is the cash tied up between paying suppliers and getting paid: debtor days (customers owe), inventory days (stock waits), and the cash conversion cycle (the whole loop, in days of sales).

HFCL Ltd's cash conversion cycle runs 210 days in FY26, up from 18 days in FY21. Capital spending ran ₹1,231 Cr over the last 3 years. At FY26 sales of ₹4,949 Cr each day of that cycle holds about ₹13.6 Cr, so roughly ₹2,847 Cr sits inside the business at any moment.

FY26: debtors at 163 days, inventory at 161 days — roughly 5.3 months of stock waiting to sell; that is where the cash sits while it waits — for a full cycle of 210 days, looser than FY21's 18.

The full loop: cash goes out to suppliers and production on day 0; stock waits 161 days to sell; customers pay about 163 days after that; and suppliers themselves are paid at 115 days — netting out to the 210-day cycle.

In money terms: at FY26 sales of ₹4,949 Cr, each day of the cycle holds about ₹13.6 Cr — so the 210-day loop keeps roughly ₹2,847 Cr sitting inside the business at any moment.

FY26: a 210-day cash cycle Debtor days, inventory days, payable days and the cash conversion cycle by fiscal year. 13-year window.
+192 days vs FY21
Cash cycleInventory daysDebtor daysPayable days
753483214−56−326days210d161d163d115dFY14FY17FY20FY23FY26
753483214−56−326days210d161d163d115dFY14FY20FY26

On the investment side: capital spending of ₹1,231 Cr over the last 3 fiscal years against ₹345 Cr of depreciation — the company is building well ahead of wear-and-tear. Capital work-in-progress stands at ₹85.0 Cr (FY26) — capacity paid for but not yet earning.

FY26: capex ₹405 Cr, work-in-progress ₹85.0 Cr Capital spending per fiscal year, ₹ Cr (bars); capital work-in-progress, ₹ Cr (line). Quarterly capital-spending history is not held for India — annual is the honest resolution.
a build-out
CapexWork-in-progress
650475301126−49₹ Cr₹405₹85FY16FY18FY21FY23FY26
650475301126−49₹ Cr₹405₹85FY16FY21FY26

The synthesis: the working-capital loop is the cash sink the router flagged — watch the cycle, not the P&L.

→ Does all this activity actually earn its cost of capital? Next: ROCE is 11%.

10 · Return on capital

Return on capital Return on capital employed (ROCE) is the profit the whole business earns on all the money in it — equity and debt together. It is the single best test of whether growth creates value or just size.

HFCL Ltd earns a ROCE of 11% in FY26. That is up from a trough of 8% in FY25. A return-on-invested-capital spread against the cost of capital is not computable from what is held here. The wiring behind it is 6.6% net margin on 0.56× asset turns.

FY26 ROCE is 11%, recovered from a FY25 trough of 8% — the full ladder below shows the fall and the climb, undoctored.

Why the return is what it is — the wiring (FY26): 6.6% net margin × 0.56× asset turns × 1.81× balance-sheet leverage ≈ 6.7% on equity. Margin does its share; leverage is a meaningful part of the equation.

FY26: ROCE 11% Return on capital employed by fiscal year, % (line). 13-year window, dips included. Dashed line = the 12.0% cost of capital used on this page.
the climb back from FY25's 8%
ROCEWACC
38%30%22%14%5.8%%11%FY14FY17FY20FY23FY26
38%30%22%14%5.8%%11%FY14FY20FY26

The quarterly return curves and the return-on-invested-capital overlay, which only the second data source carries, are not drawn on this page: its two data sources disagree by up to 9.8% on reported income across 14 comparable periods. A figure two sources cannot agree on is not drawn — the gap is a decision, not missing data.

→ Returns like these — is the balance sheet borrowing to make them? Next: debt-to-equity is 0.36.

11 · Debt

Debt Debt-to-equity says how much of the business is funded by borrowings; interest cover says how many times operating profit pays the interest bill. Low and high, respectively, is the safe corner.

HFCL Ltd carries ₹1,744 Cr of borrowings against ₹4,891 Cr of equity in FY26, a debt-to-equity of 0.36. Operating profit covers the interest bill 3×. Over 5 years borrowings went from ₹942 Cr to ₹1,744 Cr. Capital spending ran ₹1,231 Cr across the last 3 of those years.

FY26: borrowings of ₹1,744 Cr against equity of ₹4,891 Cr — a debt-to-equity of 0.36. Operating profit covers the interest bill 3×. Over 5 years borrowings went from ₹942 Cr to ₹1,744 Cr while capital spending ran ₹1,231 Cr in just the last 3 — part of the build-out is riding on borrowed money.

FY26: borrowings ₹1,744 Cr at 0.36× equity Borrowings by fiscal year, ₹ Cr (bars); debt-to-equity, × (line). 13-year window. Quarterly balance-sheet history is not held for India — annual is the honest resolution.
the debt trajectory
BorrowingsDebt-to-equity
1.9k0.8×1.4k0.6×9420.5×4710.3×00.2×₹ Cr×₹1,7440.36×FY14FY17FY20FY23FY26
1.9k0.8×1.4k0.6×9420.5×4710.3×00.2×₹ Cr×₹1,7440.36×FY14FY20FY26

The total-debt and debt-to-equity series, which only the second data source carries, are not drawn on this page: its two data sources disagree by up to 9.8% on reported income across 14 comparable periods. A figure two sources cannot agree on is not drawn — the gap is a decision, not missing data.

→ Who owns this, and are they adding or leaving? Next: Promoters cut 9.3 points over 8 quarters.

12 · Ownership

Ownership Who owns the stock, quarter by quarter: promoters (the controlling owners), foreign and domestic institutions, and the public. Steady accumulation by people close to the numbers is a signal; a quiet register is also an answer.

Promoters cut 9.3 points of HFCL Ltd over 8 quarters, the biggest move on the register. That takes promoters to 28.3% of the company. Foreign institutions moved +8.7 points over the same window, to 15.7%. The register is read on the four disclosed classes only; nothing is inferred between filings.

The register over the last two years — Promoters: −9.3 points over 8 quarters to 28.3%; Foreign institutions: +8.7 points over 8 quarters to 15.7%; Domestic institutions: +3.5 points over 8 quarters to 10.9%.

🚨 Why the register moved: promoters drove it (−9.3 points), absorbed on the other side by foreign institutions (+8.7 points) — distribution into the market’s bid.

Fiscal-year ends: promoters −9.4 pts from Mar 24 to Mar 26 Shareholding at each fiscal-year end (March quarter), % of the company. 3 year-ends held.
PromotersForeign inst.Domestic inst.Public
60%45%31%16%1.7%%28.3%7.1%8.6%56.0%Mar 24Mar 25Mar 26
60%45%31%16%1.7%%28.3%7.1%8.6%56.0%Mar 24Mar 25Mar 26
Promoters cut 9.3 points over 8 quarters Shareholding by holder class, % of the company, quarterly, last 13 quarters.
PromotersForeign inst.Domestic inst.Public
60%45%29%14%−1.3%%28.3%15.7%10.9%45.0%Jun 23Dec 24Jun 26
60%45%29%14%−1.3%%28.3%15.7%10.9%45.0%Jun 23Dec 24Jun 26

→ One last check: does the safety math agree? Next: the balance-sheet safety line.

13 · Safety line

Safety line The Z-score estimates how far a company sits from balance-sheet distress — above roughly 3 is safe, below roughly 1.8 is the danger zone. It was built for manufacturers, so it is not applied to banks and lenders.

HFCL Ltd: the Z-score is not available for this stock, so we say so rather than invent one. It is a distance-to-distress estimate from the balance sheet, not a forecast of failure. The debt, cash-flow and return sections above carry the balance-sheet evidence this page does hold, and each of them states its own reporting date.

The safety line in one sentence: the Z-score is not available for this stock, so we say so rather than invent one.

Related companies · same sector · Telecom Services Every company is compared on the shape of its own curves, not static ratios. The Revenue, EPS and ROCE columns each draw that company's last 12 quarters as a mini line of the ACTUAL level (trailing-twelve-month revenue and EPS, and the ROCE itself) — so a line that climbs is a business getting bigger, a line that sinks is one shrinking. The colour tracks the same line: green when it is rising or steadily healthy, amber when it is rolling over from a high (still elevated but turning down), red when it is falling, grey when flat or stuck. Colour and direction always agree — a green line never points down. The ROCE curve is the return on capital (annual readings for peers, so a slightly coarser line than the quarterly one at the top of this page). The Stage column then runs the same 12-quarter trajectory classifier used at the top of the page on each company and names where it sits. What lands a company in each bucket: CONSISTENT — growth stays positive across the window and returns are healthy (ROCE ≥ 15%, or ROE ≥ 12% for lenders); IMPROVING — profit or EPS fell into real decline, bottomed a few quarters back, and has climbed back to positive and held there; TURNING AROUND — the same kind of trough but more recent, with the latest quarters just lifting off it (an early, unconfirmed turn); TOPPING OUT — growth is still positive but decelerating hard from its own peak while returns have stopped rising; DETERIORATING — two or more growth curves are shrinking (latest below zero) and staying there, not one soft quarter; MIXED — the curves genuinely disagree, or no clean majority, so no single word fits; NO READ — fewer than eight usable quarters. It is a like-for-like read of every company against its own past, not a ranking against the group.
CompanyP/EMkt capRevenueEPSROCEStage
HFCL Ltd this page52.6×₹30,130 CrTurning around
Bharti Airtel Ltd44.5×₹11.8L CrMixed
Vodafone Idea Ltd₹1.4L CrNo read
Indus Towers Ltd14.6×₹1L CrMixed
Bharti Hexacom Ltd47.3×₹80,380 CrMixed
Tata Communications Ltd48.6×₹50,599 CrDeteriorating
ITI Ltd₹26,501 CrNo read
Tejas Networks Ltd₹8,817 CrNo read
Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Ltd₹7,699 CrNo read
Optiemus Infracom Ltd81.1×₹5,355 CrMixed
NELCO Ltd357.0×₹2,129 CrTurning around
Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd₹1,708 CrNo read
GTL Infrastructure Ltd₹1,563 CrNo read
Valiant Communications Ltd46.8×₹1,131 CrConsistent
Suyog Telematics Ltd15.8×₹996 CrMixed
ADC India Communications Ltd51.6×₹977 CrTurning around
OnMobile Global Ltd₹646 CrNo read
ADC India Communications Ltd32.3×₹594 CrNo read
Sar Televenture Ltd8.2×₹587 CrNo read
12 · Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

What is HFCL Ltd's share price today?

HFCL Ltd trades at ₹213, +161.4% over the past year. The company is valued at ₹30,130 Cr. The stock sits at 97% of its 52-week range of ₹61–₹217, +73.9% versus its 200-day average. On the tape, the price is in a confirmed uptrend, 12 weeks in. — as of 24 July 2026.

What were HFCL Ltd's latest quarterly results?

HFCL Ltd reported revenue of ₹1,915 Cr and net profit of ₹246 Cr for the Jun 26 quarter. Earnings per share were ₹1.49. The operating margin was 22.0%, 19.0 pp higher than a year earlier. — as of 24 July 2026.

What is HFCL Ltd's revenue?

HFCL Ltd reported revenue of ₹1,915 Cr in the Jun 26 quarter, +119.9% year on year. For the full FY26 fiscal year, revenue was ₹4,949 Cr (+21.7%). Over the last 10 years revenue compounded at 5.6% a year. — as of 24 July 2026.

What is HFCL Ltd's profit?

HFCL Ltd earned ₹246 Cr of net profit in the Jun 26 quarter. Full-year FY26 profit was ₹329 Cr. The operating margin ran 22.0% in the latest quarter. — as of 24 July 2026.

What is HFCL Ltd's market cap?

HFCL Ltd's market capitalisation is ₹30,130 Cr at a share price of ₹213. Market cap is the share price multiplied by shares outstanding, so it is restated whenever the price moves. — as of 24 July 2026.

What is HFCL Ltd's P/E ratio?

HFCL Ltd trades at a P/E of 52.6×, at the 93rd percentile of its own 10-year range, against a long-run median of 27.5×. This is a comparison with the stock's own history, not a value call — as of 24 July 2026.

Does HFCL Ltd pay a dividend?

Yes — HFCL Ltd's dividend payout was 10% of profit in FY26, and it recorded a payout in 8 of its last 13 reported fiscal years. This page holds the payout ratio, not a per-share amount. — as of 24 July 2026.

Is HFCL Ltd overvalued?

On its own history, HFCL Ltd looks expensive against its own history: its P/E of 52.6× sits at the 93rd percentile of its 10-year range (long-run median 27.5×). That is a percentile read against the stock's own past, not a price opinion or a direction call. One caveat: margins are the best this company has ever printed — cheap on record margins is not the same thing as cheap. — as of 24 July 2026.

How is HFCL Ltd performing?

HFCL Ltd is in a confirmed uptrend, 12 weeks in. Against the NIFTY 500 it has been ahead on a trailing-13-week view for 28 weeks. This describes what the data did, not a rating. — as of 24 July 2026.

What stage is HFCL Ltd in?

Turning around — profit growth swung from −90.9% at the trough to +1676.5%, a 3-quarter improving streak, ROCE holding at 11.0%. The read comes from the last 12 quarters of growth (revenue growth +58.6% latest, profit growth +1,676.5% latest, eps growth +1,470.8% latest) plus the ROCE curve, classified by deterministic rules — a trajectory read, not a buy or sell call — as of 24 July 2026.

Is HFCL Ltd in an uptrend?

Yes — the price is in a confirmed uptrend (week 12 of stage 2), trading +73.9% versus its 200-day average and at 97% of its 52-week range. Price stages cycle base → advance → top → decline, and the stage names where this stock sits in that cycle — as of 24 July 2026.

Is HFCL Ltd beating the market?

On recent form, yes — HFCL Ltd has been ahead of the NIFTY 500 on a trailing-13-week view for 28 straight weeks, the same metric the week-by-week ribbon on this page draws. Separately, on the cumulative view: over the last 10.4 years the stock moved +1,154% against the NIFTY 500's +280% — ahead of the index over the full window. — as of 24 July 2026.

Will HFCL Ltd's share price go up?

This page publishes no price forecast for HFCL Ltd. What it measures instead: the share price is ₹213, the price is in a confirmed uptrend 12 weeks in. Its P/E of 52.6× sits at the 93rd percentile of its own 10-year range. — as of 24 July 2026.

Who owns HFCL Ltd?

Promoters hold 28.3% of HFCL Ltd, foreign institutions 15.7%, domestic institutions 10.9% and the public 45.0% (latest quarter). The biggest move on the register over the last two years: Promoters cut 9.3 points over 8 quarters. — as of 24 July 2026.

Does HFCL Ltd have too much debt?

It is moderate — HFCL Ltd's debt-to-equity is 0.36, and operating profit covers the interest bill 3×. FY26 borrowings were ₹1,744 Cr against equity of ₹4,891 Cr. Read the returns on this page with that leverage in mind — as of 24 July 2026.

What is HFCL Ltd's capex?

HFCL Ltd spent ₹1,231 Cr on capital expenditure over the last 3 fiscal years, a figure derived from the change in fixed assets plus depreciation. In FY26 alone that was ₹405 Cr, with ₹85.0 Cr in capital work-in-progress — capacity paid for but not yet earning. — as of 24 July 2026.

What is HFCL Ltd's cash flow?

HFCL Ltd generated ₹−378 Cr of operating cash flow in FY26 and ₹−783 Cr of free cash flow after ₹405 Cr of capital spending. Reported profit that year was ₹329 Cr, so operating cash ran behind profit. Cash-flow resolution for India is annual. — as of 24 July 2026.

Is HFCL Ltd's profit real cash?

Not fully — over the last 3 fiscal years, −3% of HFCL Ltd's reported profit arrived as operating cash. In FY26, operating cash was ₹−378 Cr against reported profit of ₹329 Cr. The cash then goes mostly into the working-capital cycle. Cash-flow resolution is annual — as of 24 July 2026.

Where is HFCL Ltd in its business cycle?

HFCL Ltd's FY26 operating margin was 15.0%, against a 13-year band of 8.0%–15.0%: the top of the band — a record year. Record profitability is late-cycle territory: every ratio flatters at the top, and the story leans on margins holding. The latest quarter ran 22.0%. Profitability versus a company's own long band is the cleanest cycle clock this page holds — as of 24 July 2026.

What could break the HFCL Ltd story?

The sharpest disagreement: profits are rising, but only −3% of the last 3 years' profit arrived as operating cash — the gap between the P&L and the bank account is the thing to watch. Mechanically, two Friday closes in a row below the 200-day average would end the price trend — that is the exit rule this page tracks — as of 24 July 2026.

Is HFCL Ltd a stock worth studying right now?

This is not investment advice. The machine read: HFCL Ltd's price has outrun its earnings. +161.4% in a year against EPS +65.9% — the market is paying now for delivery later. The sharpest open question: whether the cash starts following the profit. Every number on this page is drawn deterministically from the raw series, with no forecasts and no price opinions — as of 24 July 2026.

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