HDFC Life, Axis Bank, Tata Communications Stocks in Focus Ahead of Q2 Results | Stock Market Today

The domestic market opened with mixed trends as three heavyweights — HDFC Life, Axis Bank, and Tata Communications — moved in opposite directions ahead of their Q2 FY26 earnings announcement scheduled for today. While HDFC Life and Tata Communications gained, Axis Bank slipped in early trade, reflecting cautious sentiment before the financial disclosures.

Market Performance

• HDFC Life share price rose over 2% in early trade
• Tata Communications stock jumped nearly 7%, briefly hitting a fresh 52-week high of ₹1,999, before paring gains to trade 1% higher at ₹1,896
• Axis Bank share price fell over 1%, touching an intraday low of ₹1,164

Axis Bank Q2 Snapshot

Axis Bank was the only one trading in red as investors appeared to brace for softer numbers for the July–September quarter (Q2 FY26).

Key figures based on poll-based expectations:

• Net Interest Income (NII): ₹13,377 crore vs ₹13,480 crore YoY (0.7% decline)
• Net Profit: ₹5,911 crore vs ₹6,920 crore YoY (14% drop)

Operational indicators:

• Loan Book Growth: Expected to rise 8% YoY and 3% QoQ
• Deposits Growth: Around 9.6% YoY and 2.5% QoQ
• Gross NPA Ratio: Likely at 1.7% vs 1.4% YoY
• Net NPA Ratio: Estimated at 0.5% vs 0.3% YoY

Higher credit costs and margin compression remain key challenges going into the result day.

HDFC Life Q2 Expectations

HDFC Life share price climbed over 2% ahead of earnings, indicating steady confidence in its core metrics.

Projected financial performance:

• Annualised Premium Equivalent (APE): ₹4,242 crore vs ₹3,858 crore YoY
• Value of New Business (VNB): ₹1,022 crore vs ₹938 crore YoY

Premium income trend:

• First-Year Premiums: Estimated to rise ~11% YoY
• Renewal Premiums: Likely up ~15% YoY
• Single Premiums: Expected to grow ~11.4% YoY

Profitability metric to track today:

• VNB Margin: Expected around 24%, slightly lower than 24.3% a year ago

Tata Communications Stock Momentum

Tata Communications saw the strongest market reaction among the three.

• Intraday high: ₹1,999 (new 52-week high)
• Current level: ₹1,896, still up 1% despite profit booking
• 5-day gain: Over 12%
• 6-month rally: More than 19%

The surge reflects heightened interest ahead of its Q2 results release, with investors tracking enterprise data growth and digital communication revenue flows.

Summary

HDFC Life, Axis Bank, and Tata Communications witnessed contrasting moves in early trade ahead of their Q2 FY26 results. HDFC Life and Tata Communications saw positive traction, with the former rising over 2 percent and the latter briefly hitting a fresh 52-week high of ₹1,999 before easing to ₹1,896. In contrast, Axis Bank slipped more than 1 percent to ₹1,164 as investors turned cautious over expectations of a year-on-year decline in both net interest income and profit. While HDFC Life is projected to post steady growth in premium income and profitability metrics such as APE and VNB, Axis Bank may face pressure from higher credit costs and rising NPAs. Tata Communications continued its upward momentum with strong short-term gains, reflecting optimistic sentiment ahead of earnings.