
The quarterly results for Bharti Airtel Limited (NSE:BHARTIARTL) were released last week, making it a good time to revisit its performance. It was a pretty mixed result, with revenues beating expectations to hit ₹585b. Statutory earnings fell 3.7% short of analyst forecasts, reaching ₹13.37 per share. The analysts typically update their forecasts at each earnings report, and we can judge from their estimates whether their view of the company has changed or if there are any new concerns to be aware of. So we gathered the latest post-earnings forecasts to see what estimates suggest is in store for next year.
Taking into account the latest results, the current consensus from Bharti Airtel's 29 analysts is for revenues of ₹2.43t in 2027. This would reflect a notable 10% increase on its revenue over the past 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are predicted to jump 39% to ₹64.66. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of ₹2.39t and earnings per share (EPS) of ₹64.07 in 2027. So it's pretty clear that, although the analysts have updated their estimates, there's been no major change in expectations for the business following the latest results.
View our latest analysis for Bharti Airtel
The analysts reconfirmed their price target of ₹2,313, showing that the business is executing well and in line with expectations. It could also be instructive to look at the range of analyst estimates, to evaluate how different the outlier opinions are from the mean. Currently, the most bullish analyst values Bharti Airtel at ₹2,728 per share, while the most bearish prices it at ₹1,785. As you can see, analysts are not all in agreement on the stock's future, but the range of estimates is still reasonably narrow, which could suggest that the outcome is not totally unpredictable.
Another way we can view these estimates is in the context of the bigger picture, such as how the forecasts stack up against past performance, and whether forecasts are more or less bullish relative to other companies in the industry. The period to the end of 2027 brings more of the same, according to the analysts, with revenue forecast to display 14% growth on an annualised basis. That is in line with its 14% annual growth over the past five years. By contrast, our data suggests that other companies (with analyst coverage) in a similar industry are forecast to see their revenues grow 5.2% per year. So although Bharti Airtel is expected to maintain its revenue growth rate, it's definitely expected to grow faster than the wider industry.
The most obvious conclusion is that there's been no major change in the business' prospects in recent times, with the analysts holding their earnings forecasts steady, in line with previous estimates. Fortunately, they also reconfirmed their revenue numbers, suggesting that it's tracking in line with expectations. Additionally, our data suggests that revenue is expected to grow faster than the wider industry. The consensus price target held steady at ₹2,313, with the latest estimates not enough to have an impact on their price targets.
Keeping that in mind, we still think that the longer term trajectory of the business is much more important for investors to consider. We have forecasts for Bharti Airtel going out to 2029, and you can see them free on our platform here.
Even so, be aware that Bharti Airtel is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis , you should know about...
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