Core Insights - The net profits of listed companies grew 14.7% year-on-year in Q3FY26, marking the fastest growth in the last eight quarters [1] Financial Performance - Adjusted net profits of the 3,353 companies in the Business Standard sample increased to approximately ₹3.97 trillion in Q3FY26 from ₹3.47 trillion in Q3FY25 and ₹3.67 trillion in Q2FY26, reflecting a growth of 14.7% year-on-year [2] - Reported net profits showed a slower growth of 9.5% year-on-year in Q3FY26, down from 11.9% in Q3FY25 and 33.4% in Q2FY26 [5] Sector Contributions - Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) was the largest contributor to earnings growth in Q3FY26, accounting for 22.4% of incremental earnings growth, with net profits rising nearly eightfold to ₹13,007 crore from ₹1,630 crore a year earlier [6][7] - The State Bank of India reported a 24.5% year-on-year increase in net profits, contributing 8.1% to corporate earnings growth [8] - Other significant contributors included Bharat Petroleum Corporation (6.8%), Tata Steel (4.8%), and HDFC Bank (3.8%), with these five companies together accounting for nearly 46% of incremental earnings growth [9][10] Sector Performance - Cyclical sectors accounted for 56.2% of corporate profits in Q3FY26, up from 53.3% a year earlier and 55.8% in Q2FY26 [12] - Traditional earnings leaders like Reliance Industries, Tata Consultancy Services, and Infosys underperformed with below-par earnings growth [13] Revenue and Cost Analysis - Net sales of all companies increased by 8.9% in Q3FY26, reaching around ₹41.17 trillion, the fastest growth in the last 11 quarters [16] - Non-cyclical sectors saw net sales growth of 10.9% year-on-year in Q3FY26, slightly up from 9.2% in Q3FY25 [17] - The Ebitda margin for companies outside the BFSI sector decreased by 20 basis points year-on-year to 17.9% of revenues [19] - Interest expenses as a percentage of revenues fell to 2.7% in Q3FY26 from 2.9% in Q3FY25, indicating a decline in interest burden [21]