UK-based Metro Bank has partnered with digital services and consulting company Infosys and AI-powered platform Workday to modernise its finance operations. Under the collaboration, Metro Bank will transition from older financial systems to a cloud-based platform using a suite of Workday financial management tools. Infosys and Workday will support the bank in implementing the Workday solutions. The solutions include Workday Financial Management, Workday Accounting Centre, Workday Spend Management, and Wo ...

By implementing a suite of Workday solutions, including Workday Financial Management, Workday Accounting Center, Workday Spend Management, and Workday Prism Analytics, Infosys will support Metro Bank to streamline business processes, centralize financial data, and automate key functions. This modernization will allow for agile decision-making and support the bank's future growth, while accelerating financial closing and reporting. Furthermore, it will help strengthen governance and risk management through e ...

Core Insights - Zacks Premium provides various tools for investors to enhance their stock market strategies and confidence [1] - The Zacks Style Scores are designed to complement the Zacks Rank, helping investors identify stocks likely to outperform the market in the short term [2] Zacks Style Scores Overview - Stocks are rated A, B, C, D, or F based on value, growth, and momentum characteristics, with higher scores indicating a better chance of outperforming [3] - The Style Scores are categorized into four types: Value Score, Growth Score, Momentum Score, and VGM Score [3][4][5][6] Value Score - Focuses on identifying undervalued stocks using financial ratios such as P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, and Price/Cash Flow [3] Growth Score - Evaluates a company's financial health and future growth potential through projected and historical earnings, sales, and cash flow [4] Momentum Score - Targets stocks with upward or downward price trends, utilizing short-term price changes and earnings estimate revisions to identify buying opportunities [5] VGM Score - Combines all three Style Scores to provide a comprehensive rating, highlighting stocks with attractive value, strong growth forecasts, and promising momentum [6] Zacks Rank Integration - The Zacks Rank uses earnings estimate revisions to guide investors in stock selection, with 1 (Strong Buy) stocks historically yielding an average annual return of +23.93% since 1988 [7] - Investors are encouraged to focus on stocks with a Zacks Rank of 1 or 2 and Style Scores of A or B for optimal returns [9] Stock Example: Infosys (INFY) - Infosys is currently rated 3 (Hold) with a VGM Score of B and a Momentum Style Score of B, having increased by 4.4% over the past four weeks [11] - Recent upward revisions in earnings estimates for fiscal 2026 have led to a Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.78 per share, with an average earnings surprise of +1.3% [12]

Market Overview - The domestic market experienced a significant rally, with the Sensex increasing over 860 points and the Nifty 50 surpassing the 26,100 mark, driven by strong performances in the IT, banking, and FMCG sectors, optimism regarding a potential India-US trade agreement, and foreign institutional investor (FII) inflows [1] - As of 1:27 PM, the Sensex was up 677.38 points or 0.80% at 85,103.72, reaching an intraday high of 85,290.06, while the Nifty 50 gained 183.00 points or 0.71% to 26,051.60, with an intraday high of 26,104.20 [2] Sector Performance - All sectoral indices, except for oil & gas, were in positive territory, with the Nifty IT index leading the gains, surging over 3%, supported by major companies like Infosys, HCL Technologies, and Tech Mahindra [3] - Top gainers in the Nifty 50 included Infosys, HCL Tech, TCS, Shriram Finance, and Tech Mahindra, while the biggest losers were Eternal, Bharti Airtel, IndiGo, Eicher Motors, and Adani Ports [4] Stock Highlights - A total of 3,114 stocks were traded on the National Stock Exchange, with 1,527 advancing, 1,495 declining, and 92 remaining unchanged. Notably, 115 stocks, including Aditya Birla Capital, Apollo Hospitals, Axis Bank, Bajaj Finserv, Bajaj Finance, and AU Small Finance Bank, reached their 52-week highs, while 26 stocks hit their 52-week lows [5] - Vodafone Idea, Yes Bank, IDFC First Bank, and The South Indian Bank were among the most actively traded stocks, with mid-cap stocks like Bharat Forge and Vodafone Idea gaining 3-5%, while others like Godfrey Phillips and Muthoot Finance saw declines of 3-6% [6] Smallcap and Other Stocks - Smallcap stocks such as Sagility, Zensar Tech, Bandhan Bank, Trident, and Newgen rose by 3-5%, while Hindustan Copper and Poonawalla Fincorp fell by 2-4%. On the BSE, stocks like Birlasoft and Garware Hi-Tech rallied 7-9%, while Godfrey Phillips and Inox Green dropped by 3-6% [7] - Companies like Hindustan Unilever, Colgate Palmolive, Laurus Labs, Vardhman Textiles, Tata Teleservices, Sagar Cements, and PTC India Financial Services are expected to be in focus due to their quarterly results [8]

Core Viewpoint - Shares of Infosys, a leading Indian IT services company, increased by 4.12% on Thursday morning, outperforming the Nifty 50 index, following the announcement that its promoters will not participate in the upcoming Rs 1 billion share buyback [1] Group 1 - Infosys' stock performance was notably strong, leading gains on the Nifty 50 index [1] - The company's promoters' decision to abstain from the upcoming share buyback is a significant factor contributing to the stock's rise [1]

Market Overview - The Indian equity markets extended their winning streak, with the S&P BSE Sensex surging 484.53 points (0.58%) to close at 83,952.19 and the NSE Nifty 50 rising 124.55 points (0.49%) to 25,709.85, hitting a fresh 52-week high driven mainly by consumption-driven stocks [10] - Analysts expect stronger volume growth and steady bank earnings, while easing concerns over asset quality have boosted overall industry confidence [10][3] - The IT index faced pressure due to concerns over discretionary spending and rising asset quality risks in the US banking system [10][3] Global Cues - Wall Street closed higher, supported by stronger-than-expected earnings from regional banks and positive investor response to President Donald Trump's comments on China [4] Technical Analysis - The sentiment around Nifty remains upbeat as it moved above its four-month consolidation range, with large-cap stocks outperforming mid- and small-cap stocks, indicating a classic bull market scenario [5] - Technical indicators suggest a strong outlook for Nifty, with meaningful support at 25,500 and resistance seen at 25,850–26,000 [5] Active Stocks - Top active stocks by turnover include Adani Power (Rs 2,811 cr), RIL (Rs 2,734 cr), and HDFC Bank (Rs 2,525 cr) [6] - By volume, Vodafone Idea led with 46.85 million shares traded, followed by YES Bank and Suzlon Energy [6] Market Sentiment - Market sentiment was bearish on Friday, with 2,527 stocks declining, 1,641 advancing, and 158 remaining unchanged out of 4,326 stocks traded on the BSE [9] Upcoming Events - A special Muhurat trading session is scheduled for October 21 to mark the beginning of Samvat 2082, with regular trading remaining closed [10] - The upcoming trading week is expected to be event-heavy, with quarterly earnings from major companies like Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank, and ICICI Bank likely to set the market tone [10]

Core Insights - During market turbulence, investors often seek dividend-yielding stocks, which typically have high free cash flows and offer substantial dividends [1] Group 1: Company Ratings and Analyst Insights - Infosys Ltd (NYSE:INFY) has a dividend yield of 3.14%. BMO Capital analyst Keith Bachman maintained a Market Perform rating and raised the price target from $18 to $20, with an accuracy rate of 79%. Stifel analyst David Grossman maintained a Hold rating and reduced the price target from $18 to $17, with an accuracy rate of 65% [7] - Texas Instruments Inc (NASDAQ:TXN) has a dividend yield of 3.24%. Citigroup analyst Christopher Danely maintained a Buy rating but cut the price target from $260 to $235, with an accuracy rate of 80%. B of A Securities analyst Vivek Arya downgraded the stock from Neutral to Underperform and reduced the price target from $208 to $190, with an accuracy rate of 82% [7] - Skyworks Solutions Inc (NASDAQ:SWKS) has a dividend yield of 3.81%. Citigroup analyst Atif Malik maintained a Sell rating and raised the price target from $63 to $66, with an accuracy rate of 83%. Susquehanna analyst Christopher Rolland maintained a Neutral rating and increased the price target from $60 to $75, with an accuracy rate of 77% [7] Group 2: Recent Company News - Infosys reported better-than-expected quarterly results on October 16, 2025 [7] - Texas Instruments appointed CEO Haviv Ilan as board chairman effective January 2026, succeeding Rich Templeton [7] - Skyworks appointed Phil Carter as chief financial officer on August 25, 2025 [7]

Core Viewpoint - Infosys has a lower P/E ratio compared to the IT Services industry average, suggesting potential undervaluation or weaker future performance expectations [5]. Group 1: P/E Ratio Analysis - The P/E ratio is a tool for assessing a company's market performance against historical earnings and industry standards [4]. - Infosys's P/E ratio is lower than the industry aggregate P/E of 31.25, indicating it may be undervalued [5]. - A low P/E ratio can imply either undervaluation or weak growth prospects, necessitating cautious interpretation [7]. Group 2: Investment Considerations - The P/E ratio should be evaluated alongside other financial metrics, industry trends, and qualitative factors for comprehensive analysis [7]. - Investors are encouraged to adopt a holistic approach to assess a company's financial health for informed decision-making [7].

Core Insights - Infosys raised its revenue forecast for the current fiscal year after reporting stronger-than-expected results for the July-September quarter [1] - The company is experiencing a slow revival in client spending despite facing challenges from global uncertainties and trade tensions [3][4] Financial Performance - Infosys reported a 13.19% year-on-year increase in net profit to 73.6 billion rupees ($837.7 million) for the July-September quarter, surpassing analyst expectations [4] - Revenue rose 8.5% year-on-year to 444.9 billion rupees, exceeding forecasts of 439.29 billion rupees [4] Revenue Outlook - The company now expects revenue growth of 2% to 3% on a constant-currency basis for the current financial year, up from the previous forecast of 1% to 3% [3][4] - Infosys continues to make strategic investments to ensure business resilience amid high uncertainty [5]

Core Insights - The article revisits Infosys Limited, an Indian IT services and consulting company, after a two-year interval, indicating a focus on providing objective, data-driven research primarily on small- to mid-cap companies while also considering large-cap firms for a broader market perspective [1] Company Overview - Infosys Limited is recognized for its IT services and consulting offerings, which are critical in the current digital transformation landscape [1] Market Context - The analysis reflects a trend where small- to mid-cap companies are often overlooked by investors, suggesting potential investment opportunities in these segments [1]