Currency volatility may hit IT cos profits

Appreciating rupee may kill exporters

PTI | October 26, 2010



Currency fluctuations are likely to dent the profit margins of Indian software exporters in the coming quarters, as uncertainties persist in the global economy, say analysts.

The country's top three IT players -- Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys Technologies and Wipro -- were affected by foreign exchange volatility in the September quarter this fiscal and their profit margins took a hit.

During Q2 FY11, July-September period, the rupee gained over three per cent against the US dollar, to touch about Rs 45. This year, the rupee has strengthened more than five per cent against the greenback.

"The appreciation of the rupee against the US dollar is likely to hit the profitability of IT companies in the coming quarters. Many players have raised this concern while coming out with their September quarter numbers," CNI Research CMD Kishore P Ostwal said.

Country's top software exporter TCS, which posted a better-than expected 32 per cent growth in the September quarter with a net profit at Rs 2,169 crore, raised concerned over the appreciating rupee.

The company recorded Rs 47-crore foreign exchange loss in Q2. It would be a "big headwind" in the next quarter for the company, TCS said.

Similarly, the country's third-largest software exporter Wipro incurred forex loss of Rs 41.4 crore during Q2 and raised concerns about the macro-economic environment.

Although Infosys did not report a forex loss in Q2, its Chief Financial Officer V Balakrishnan cautioned that the rising rupee would "kill exporters" unless the Reserve Bank of India steps into the market.

Balakrishnan said the company was facing uncertainties related to economic situation, currency and labour market.

Overall, software exporters saw a significant spurt in Q2 revenues, mainly because of new clients.

Some analysts said, however, that currency fluctuations would remain until there is significant recovery in the global economy.

Against the backdrop of sluggish economic conditions, and availability of cheap money in the US, the dollar has in fact taken a beating in the recent times, said one analyst.

He said a stable exchange value for the domestic currency is vital for software exporters, as many of them earn a big chunk of their revenues from the US.

 

Comments

 

Other News

Testing the teachers, moving the goalposts

A teacher was appointed in 1999, before the Right to Education (RTE) Act came into force, and appointed under the rules that existed at that time. She gave the necessary test, passed it, passed the interview, and was appointed. Over the next 26 years, she taught thousands of children, faced transfer orde

`Focus on infra, reforms, digital connectivity has created strong foundation for growth`

In a step towards the operationalisation of the Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana (BHAVYA), union minister of commerce & industry Piyush Goyal launched the BHAVYA Portal on Monday in New Delhi.   Addressing the gathering, Goyal said that the BHAVYA scheme will adopt a competit

Govt, RBI announce major reforms to attract FPI

The finance ministry on Friday announced a series of measures aimed at enhancing the ease of investment for individual Persons Resident Outside India (PROIs) and Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs), and to attract stable long-term foreign capital flows.   Building on the recent in

Lessons in climate adaption from world’s largest inhabited river island

Majuli Island, perched between the Brahmaputra River to the south and east, the Subansiri River to the west, and a branch of the Brahmaputra to the north, has been severely affected by recurrent flooding and intense riverbank erosion. Despite its global importance in acquiring UNESCO tentative status for

Careless whispers and the impossible trinity

Time can never mend, the careless whispers of …    As the RBI marches ahead, for the upcoming monetary policy meeting this June, whispers from the corridors echo around several policy options to defend the rupee – by deploying forex reserves, raising in

Bullet Train Project: Third mountain tunnel breakthrough achieved

A major engineering milestone has been achieved in the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project with the successful breakthrough of the third mountain tunnel (MT-07) at Ambesari village in Dahanu Taluka of Palghar district, Maharashtra.   With this achievement, three mountain





Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter