In this blog, we dive into the performance of five major companies — Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Axis Bank, Nestlé India, SBI Life Insurance, and Tech Mahindra — summarizing their quarterly numbers, highlighting what’s working, what’s not, and what investors and market watchers can expect as we step into FY26.

📈 Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL)

⭐ Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5) — Stable Revenues, Profit Under Pressure

• Net Profit: ₹2,464 crore (▼3.7% YoY)
• Revenue: ₹15,979 crore (▲3.5% YoY)
• EBITDA: ₹3,466 crore (▲slightly YoY)
• EBITDA Margin: 23.1% (▼30bps)
• Dividend: ₹53/share total (₹24 final dividend)

✅ What’s Working:

• Turnover crossed ₹60,000 crore.
• Strong innovation in high-growth segments.
• Minimalist acquisition and Pureit divestment show strategic reshaping.

❌ What’s Not:

• Profit decline despite higher revenue.
• EBITDA margin pressure.

🔮 Outlook: Gradual demand recovery expected in FY26; portfolio transformation and innovation remain key.

🏦 Axis Bank

⭐ Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5) — Mixed Bag with Margin Compression

• Net Profit: ₹7,117.5 crore (▼0.20% YoY)
• NII: ₹13,811 crore (▲6% YoY)
• NIM: 3.97% (▼9bps YoY)
• Dividend: ₹1/share

✅ What’s Working:

• Healthy deposit and loan book growth.
• CASA ratio improved to 41%.

❌ What’s Not:

• Decline in NIM.
• Flat profit growth despite strong balance sheet expansion.

🔮 Outlook: Focus on improving margins, asset quality stable with PCR at 75%.

🍫 Nestlé India

⭐ Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) — Strong Topline, Commodity Pressure

• Net Profit: ₹885 crore (▼5.2% YoY)
• Revenue: ₹5,503.9 crore (▲4.5% YoY)
• PBIDT: ₹1,397.4 crore (▲1.5% YoY)
• Dividend: ₹10/share (Final)

✅ What’s Working:

• Double-digit growth in beverages (Nescafé) and confectionery (KitKat).
• Strong rural and e-commerce traction.

❌ What’s Not:

• Margin pressure due to cocoa and milk price volatility.

🔮 Outlook: Rural expansion and premiumization to drive steady growth in FY26.

🛡️ SBI Life Insurance

⭐ Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) — Solid Growth Momentum

• Net Profit: ₹813.5 crore (▲0.3% YoY)
• Renewal Premium: ₹14,680 crore (▲12.9% YoY)
• Single Premium: ₹4,462 crore (▼42% YoY)

✅ What’s Working:

• Strong premium growth.
• Improvement in commission income.

❌ What’s Not:

• Single premium segment decline impacting overall growth mix.

🔮 Outlook: Motilal Oswal projects 15%-17% CAGR in APE and VNB over FY25-27. Target price: ₹2,000.

💻 Tech Mahindra

⭐ Rating: ⭐⭐ (2/5) — Turnaround in Progress, Challenges Persist

• Net Profit: ₹1,167 crore (▲76.5% YoY)
• Revenue: ₹13,384 crore (▲4% YoY)
• Deal Wins (TCV): $2.7 billion (▲42% YoY)

✅ What’s Working:

• Strong TCV growth indicating healthy pipeline.
• Stabilization efforts in Europe and Asia-Pacific.

❌ What’s Not:

• Communications vertical weakness.
• Revenue flat in USD terms; stock underperformed Nifty50.

🔮 Outlook: Early stages of turnaround; FY26 depends on US demand revival and communications sector recovery.

Final Thoughts

Q4FY25 results showcased a mixed performance across sectors.

• HUL and Nestlé India delivered stable revenues but faced profit and margin pressures due to input cost volatility.
• Axis Bank showed strong balance sheet growth, but margin compression and flat profits remain concerns.
• SBI Life Insurance continued its steady growth trajectory, supported by a robust renewal premium inflow and improving product mix.
• Tech Mahindra is undergoing a transformation phase, with deal wins improving but revenue pressures still weighing in the short term.