We have a buy on Infosys with a target price of Rs 3,650 per share. Out TP discounts Fy16e EPS by 17 times. The stock trades at 16 times FY15e and 14.8 times GY16e EPS. We view the appointment of Vishal Sikka as CEO & MD as positive. However, it would be be foolhardy to assume any immediate change in Infosys’ fortunes. Expectations from the company over the medium term by no means run high ? reflected in a low multiple implied in Infosys’ valuation.
Infosys currently works with only a third of F500 companies globally, and has announced plans to hire more to increase that number. We see the appointment as positive towards that end. Given Sikka?s ideas towards technological innovation, we expect constructive deployment of cash catching speed. The decision reflects Infosys? intent of staying ahead of the curve. It was imperative that Infosys had a new CEO on board to minimise the potential impact on win rates in the near future amid an inward focus.
Sikka?s focus over next few weeks will be on learning more about the company. However, given the transformation being brought about by software innovations, he aims to transform Infosys into a more powerful company, adding greater value to clients. In traditional services, driving greater efficiency and automation will clearly be key. Client overlap between Infosys and SAP implies opportunity for Sikka for a smooth discussion around evolving and strengthening relationships.
Motilal Oswal
