Bajaj Auto Q3 results today: What to eye in the fineprint; how to trade the stock?

Online beauty platform Nykaa is expected to report a 31% YoY growth in Q4 revenue at Rs 1,277 crore due to a strong festive season base; however, sales are set to decline by almost 13% on a sequential basis. Hindalco Industries net sales for the same quarter are expected to decline by 4% to Rs 53,500 crore and profits falling by 44% to Rs 2,300 crore. Meanwhile, Life Insurance Corp (LIC) posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 8,334 crore for Q3 and recorded a 14% YoY increase in net premium income to Rs 1.12 lakh crore in December quarter.

The board has also approved the reappointment of Neeraj Kanwar as the managing director of the company for a period of 5 years, effective April 1, 2024.

Both revenue and profit were slightly below the estimates. ET Now Poll saw a profit figure around Rs 1,686 crore and revenue of Rs 10,472 crore.

Bank of Baroda's profit is expected to increase by over double in Q4, with net interest income estimated at Rs 11,034 crore, up 28% YoY. Indian Oil Corp is expected to report a 12% YoY net profit increase to Rs 6,770 crore, with revenue predicted to rise up to 14% to Rs 2.01 lakh crore. Meanwhile, Kotak Institutional Equities expects Jindal Steel and Powers sales to decline by 9% to Rs 12,988 crore, and for its adjusted net profit to decrease 40% to Rs 1,160 crore. Finally, telecom major Bharti Airtel is expected to post a modest revenue growth and up to a 54% QoQ net profit increase.

The fast moving consumer goods major is seen reporting a double-digit growth in the consolidated net profit for the March quarter, on the back of a similar growth in the topline.

Even though earnings saw a recovery in the last quarter, some analysts believe the overall growth will be a bit uneven, given that several pockets are yet to see a visible recovery.

Operating profit, calculated as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), plunged 56% YoY to Rs 488 crore in Q4, and operating margin shrunk a whopping 1886 basis points to 24.99%.

Titan reported 9% growth in its standalone net profit at Rs 1040 crore in the third quarter. Revenue from operations jumped 20% year-on-year to Rs 13,052 crore.

HDFC is predicted to report a 4% YoY growth in net profit for Q4 due to provisions, while Dabur's revenues are expected to increase by 5%. Meanwhile, Tata Power could post a 13% YoY growth in revenue and a 50% rise in net profit, while TVS Motor's earnings are set to benefit from a favourable mix. Finally, Hero MotoCorp may report an 11% YoY growth in revenue and a 120 bps QoQ improvement in EBITDA margins. Adani Enterprises' profit and revenue figures are not available as they announce their Q4 results amid ongoing investigations.

Nearly 50 companies, including Archean Chemical Industries, Affle, Balu Forge, Clean Science and Technology, Gujarat Alkalies & Chemicals, and Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), will announce their December quarter earnings. The market is particularly interested in the results of PSU lender State Bank of India (SBI).