Bharti Airtel Limited Just Beat EPS By 23%: Here's What Analysts Think Will Happen Next

The full-year results for Bharti Airtel Limited (NSE:BHARTIARTL) were released last week, making it a good time to revisit its performance. Revenues were ₹1.7t, approximately in line with whatthe analysts expected, although statutory earnings per share (EPS) crushed expectations, coming in at ₹56.04, an impressive 23% ahead of estimates. Following the result, the analysts have updated their earnings model, and it would be good to know whether they think there's been a strong change in the company's prospects, or if it's business as usual. We've gathered the most recent statutory forecasts to see whether the analysts have changed their earnings models, following these results.

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Taking into account the latest results, the consensus forecast from Bharti Airtel's 31 analysts is for revenues of ₹2.08t in 2026. This reflects a sizeable 20% improvement in revenue compared to the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are expected to reduce 7.1% to ₹51.19 in the same period. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of ₹2.08t and earnings per share (EPS) of ₹51.34 in 2026. The consensus analysts don't seem to have seen anything in these results that would have changed their view on the business, given there's been no major change to their estimates.

See our latest analysis for Bharti Airtel

There were no changes to revenue or earnings estimates or the price target of ₹2,025, suggesting that the company has met expectations in its recent result. That's not the only conclusion we can draw from this data however, as some investors also like to consider the spread in estimates when evaluating analyst price targets. The most optimistic Bharti Airtel analyst has a price target of ₹2,370 per share, while the most pessimistic values it at ₹1,325. There are definitely some different views on the stock, but the range of estimates is not wide enough as to imply that the situation is unforecastable, in our view.

Looking at the bigger picture now, one of the ways we can make sense of these forecasts is to see how they measure up against both past performance and industry growth estimates. It's clear from the latest estimates that Bharti Airtel's rate of growth is expected to accelerate meaningfully, with the forecast 20% annualised revenue growth to the end of 2026 noticeably faster than its historical growth of 13% p.a. over the past five years. By contrast, our data suggests that other companies (with analyst coverage) in a similar industry are forecast to grow their revenue at 5.3% per year. Factoring in the forecast acceleration in revenue, it's pretty clear that Bharti Airtel is expected to grow much faster than its industry.

The Bottom Line

The most important thing to take away is that there's been no major change in sentiment, with the analysts reconfirming that the business is performing in line with their previous earnings per share 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. There was no real change to the consensus price target, suggesting that the intrinsic value of the business has not undergone any major changes with the latest estimates.

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 2028, and you can see them free on our platform here.

And what about risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Bharti Airtel (of which 1 shouldn't be ignored!) you should know about.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.