HCLTech Reports 21% Profit Growth and Announces Rs 12 Interim Dividend

HCL Technologies announced on Monday a significant interim dividend of Rs 12 per share for the fiscal year 2027. This financial distribution comes on the heels of the company’s latest quarterly performance report, which highlighted a strong growth trajectory despite broader market volatility throughout the year. The company has officially set October 16, 2026, as the record date to determine which shareholders will be eligible for this payout, with the actual distribution of funds scheduled for October 26, 2026.The declaration of this dividend accompanies the release of the company's second-quarter earnings for FY27, which showed a consolidated net profit of Rs 5,132 crore. This figure represents a 21% increase compared to the Rs 4,235 crore recorded during the same quarter of the previous year. Revenue from operations also saw a healthy uptick, rising 12% year-on-year to reach Rs 35,620 crore, compared to the Rs 31,942 crore reported in the second quarter of the 2026 fiscal year.Financial performance metrics remained positive on a sequential basis as well. The company’s revenue increased by 3%, while net profit rose by 11% compared to the preceding quarter. When measured in constant currency terms, revenue growth stood at 2.6% on an annual basis and 2.3% quarter-on-quarter. Furthermore, earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) reached Rs 6,465 crore, demonstrating a notable improvement over the Rs 5,550 crore reported in the same period last year. The EBIT margin was recorded at 18.2%, reflecting an expansion of 71 basis points year-on-year, even after accounting for an 84-basis-point impact from restructuring costs incurred during the September quarter.Looking ahead, HCLTech has maintained its financial guidance for the current fiscal year. The company confirmed it remains on track with its EBIT margin guidance of 17.5% to 18.5%. Additionally, its constant-currency revenue growth forecast remains consistent at 2.5% to 4% for the overall business, with a specific focus on 3% to 4% growth within its services division. During the quarter, the company secured new deals valued at $3.26 billion, driven largely by increased demand for services and accelerated momentum in advanced AI-led projects.In a separate strategic move, the company unveiled a Global Premier Partnership with AI research firm Anthropic. This collaboration is designed to accelerate the enterprise adoption of agentic artificial intelligence, with a primary focus on cybersecurity, governance, and safety. Under the terms of the agreement, HCLTech plans to establish a dedicated Anthropic Business Unit and a Centre of Excellence. This unit will focus on developing industry-specific solutions that leverage models such as Claude and Claude Code, providing secure testing environments for enterprise clients to deploy these tools at scale.Market reaction to the announcements was measured. HCLTech shares closed the trading session on Monday at Rs 1,220 on the Bombay Stock Exchange, marking a modest gain of 0.47% from the previous close. Throughout the day, the stock fluctuated between a low of Rs 1,206.50 and a high of Rs 1,237.75. Despite the positive performance in the latest quarter, the company’s share price has seen a decline of approximately 15% since the beginning of 2026. As of October 12, 2026, the company's total market capitalisation stood at Rs 3,31,067 crore.The latest dividend payout continues a pattern of returns for investors. According to data from the BSE, HCLTech previously distributed dividends of Rs 12 per share in January 2026, followed by Rs 24 per share in April, and another Rs 12 per share in July. The management’s focus remains on balancing capital returns to shareholders with ongoing investments in emerging technologies like AI to maintain competitiveness in the global IT landscape.