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Bajaj Auto revs up Q3 with steady profits despite one-off speed bumps
MUMBAI: Bajaj Auto kept its engine humming in the December quarter, even if a few speed bumps slowed the ride. The two-wheeler and three-wheeler major reported a standalone net profit of Rs 2,503 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2025, broadly steady compared to the previous quarter and up from Rs 2,109 crore a year ago.
For Bajaj Auto Limited, Q3FY26 was a story of volume-led growth tempered by exceptional costs. Total revenue from operations rose to Rs 15,220 crore, compared with Rs 12,807 crore in the year-ago quarter, supported by stronger sales across motorcycles, three-wheelers and exports. Vehicle sales stood at 1.34 million units during the quarter, up from 1.22 million units in Q3FY25.
Profit before tax came in at Rs 3,327 crore, after accounting for exceptional items of Rs 61 crore linked to employee-related provisions. Excluding these one-offs, operating performance remained resilient, reflecting favourable product mix, cost discipline and steady demand in key markets.
Expenses climbed in line with scale. Raw material and component costs rose to Rs 9,868 crore, while other expenses increased to Rs 981 crore, reflecting higher operating activity. Even so, Bajaj Auto maintained strong margins, with basic earnings per share at Rs 89.7 for the quarter, compared with Rs 75.5 a year earlier.
For the nine months ended December 31, 2025, the company reported a profit of Rs 7,079 crore, up from Rs 6,102 crore in the corresponding period last year. Revenue from operations for the nine-month period stood at Rs 42,727 crore, compared with Rs 37,862 crore a year ago, underscoring consistent momentum through the fiscal.
Segment-wise, the automotive business remained the primary growth driver, delivering quarterly segment revenue of Rs 15,429 crore and profit before tax of Rs 3,212 crore. The financing segment also showed improvement, while the investments portfolio continued to provide stability to overall earnings.
While exceptional charges took some shine off headline profits, Bajaj Auto’s underlying performance points to a business still firmly in gear. With volumes holding up, margins intact and capital employed rising to nearly Rs 38,000 crore, the company appears well placed to navigate cost pressures and shifting demand in the quarters ahead.
In short, the ride may not have been flawless, but Bajaj Auto finished the quarter with enough torque to stay ahead of the pack.
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Microsoft faces worst quarter since 2008 financial crisis
Cloud giant battles soaring AI costs and fierce competition from nimble startups.
MUMBAI: When the tech titan starts looking a little wobbly, even the Magnificent Seven can feel the tremors because Microsoft is currently starring in its own sequel, “Clouds and Doubts.” Microsoft is on track for its worst quarterly performance since the 2008 global financial crisis, according to Bloomberg, as investors grow increasingly uneasy about rising capital expenditure and intensifying competition from nimble AI firms. The company has been pouring money into AI infrastructure, yet markets are questioning when these hefty investments will finally deliver stronger revenue growth.
At the same time, investors are shifting away from traditional software stocks amid fears that AI startups such as Anthropic and OpenAI are developing autonomous agents capable of replacing established products, including those from Microsoft. Jonathan Cofsky, portfolio manager at Janus Henderson Investors, noted growing concern that customers may bypass Microsoft and deal directly with AI vendors, potentially disrupting its core business and putting pressure on pricing and margins.
Microsoft’s stock has tumbled 25 per cent in the first quarter, putting it on course for its largest drop since a 27 per cent fall in the fourth quarter of 2008. It has also emerged as the weakest performer among the so-called Magnificent Seven technology stocks, while a broader index tracking the group has fallen 14 per cent over the same period. The shares slipped a further 1.7 per cent after markets opened on Friday, marking a potential fourth consecutive session of declines.
Cofsky pointed out that Microsoft has become more capital intensive and that improved investor confidence will hinge on assurances that software growth will not slow materially. Despite the sell-off, the stock is now trading at less than 20 times projected earnings over the next 12 months, its lowest valuation level since June 2016. Its valuation remains slightly above that of the S&P 500 Index, although it has recently traded at a discount to the broader benchmark for the first time since 2015.
Bloomberg data shows Microsoft’s capital expenditure, including leases, is expected to surge to $146 billion in fiscal 2026, up around 66 per cent from $88 billion in fiscal 2025. Spending is projected to climb further to $170 billion in fiscal 2027 and $191 billion in fiscal 2028, based on average estimates. Investors are growing cautious about such levels of spending without clearer signs of stronger growth.
Microsoft’s Azure cloud division has reported a slight slowdown in growth compared with the previous quarter, while its Copilot AI product has seen limited user traction, prompting internal changes aimed at improving performance. Ben Reitzes, an analyst at Melius Research, warned in a March note that Microsoft’s upside in Azure could be constrained as the company works to address challenges related to its AI models and Copilot offering, adding that these issues are unlikely to be resolved in the short term.
Of the 67 analysts covering Microsoft, 63 maintain buy ratings, three hold ratings and one a sell rating. The average 12-month price target of $592 implies a potential upside of more than 64 per cent, the highest on record based on data going back to 2009. The stock is also trading below its 200-day moving average by the widest margin since 2009.
Reitzes suggested the dominance of buy ratings may indicate complacency among analysts, while highlighting risks in Microsoft’s productivity and business processes segment as well as its More Personal Computing division. In contrast, Tal Liani of Bank of America reinstated coverage with a buy rating, citing durable multi-year growth prospects across cloud and AI. Jake Seltz, portfolio manager at Allspring Global Investments, maintained that Microsoft retains strong long-term value and that its AI strategy is likely to be validated over time, viewing near-term concerns as a potential opportunity for longer-term investors.
The report highlights a growing divergence in market sentiment, with optimism around long-term AI potential weighed against immediate execution risks and investor uncertainty. In the world of big tech, even the mightiest clouds can have silver linings but right now, Microsoft’s investors are scanning the horizon for clearer skies.
