Sonata Software LtdQ3 FY23
Sonata Software Ltd Q3 FY23 Earnings Call Analysis
Revenue, margin, capex, fundraise and order book outlook from management commentary.
Price: ₹284P/E: 14.7Market Cap: ₹7.5K CrSector: IT - Software
Management growth scorecard
Revenue
Category 3
Margin
Category 3
Fundraise
N/A
Order
Yes
Capex
Yes
2 of 4 growth signals are positive.
Full analysisRevenue guidance
Category 3- →International service business grew 40% YoY and 4.6% QoQ, with expectations to maintain high-teens YoY growth going forward.
- →Continued strong order booking with a book-to-bill ratio of 1.24x and a large deal pipeline up 25% quarter-on-quarter.
- →Large deals (e.g., $160 million deal) are fully ramped up; additional deals (like TUI) expected to ramp up further in H2 and next fiscal year.
- →Growth driven by modernization engineering, cloud, data platforms, and new large enterprise clients (17 clients >$3M revenue, 11 clients >$5M).
- →Expansion expected from Quant Systems acquisition and bundled service offerings leading to accelerated growth on new clients.
- →Optimistic long-term growth, targeting $1.5 billion revenue by FY26 with international EBITDA in low-20s.
- →Headcount and investments in AI and key tech areas to support growth, with an improving utilization rate (84.2%).
Margin guidance
Category 3- →Sonata Software expects continued strong growth, targeting revenue of $1.5 billion by FY26.
- →International business saw 40% YoY growth this quarter; management confident of maintaining high-teens growth YoY.
- →EBITDA margin for international business to remain in the lower 20% range in the medium term, with ongoing investments.
- →Consolidated EPS improved from Rs. 8.66 to Rs. 8.96 quarter-on-quarter; PAT grew 10.2% YoY.
- →Large deal pipeline increased 25% quarter-on-quarter, with 32 large deals in the pipeline supporting future growth.
- →Amortization and interest cost related to acquisitions will reduce significantly by next year, potentially boosting PAT.
- →Employee costs may stabilize; headcount expected to rise with ongoing AI investments, supporting growth momentum.
- →Management remains optimistic about long-term growth despite potential softness in certain verticals (e.g., TMT).
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Fundraise plans
- →The company borrowed about $55 million during the acquisition of Quant, resulting in finance costs related to interest on this loan.
- →This loan carries an interest cost of approximately Rs. 6.5 crores per quarter (~Rs. 17-20 crores impact including unwinding of interest), which will reduce as repayments are made.
- →The loan is planned to be repaid sometime in the next year, with associated interest costs reducing substantially after payments in March 2024 and March 2025, and finally concluding with a payment in August 2025.
- →There is no mention of any new or planned fundraising through additional debt or equity in the current call.
- →The company appears to be focused on repaying existing debt rather than raising new funds at this time.
Order book
Yes- →The international business order booking for Q2 stood at a book-to-bill ratio of 1.24x, which is industry-leading.
- →The large deal pipeline has increased by 25% quarter-on-quarter.
- →Sonata has 32 large deals in the pipeline currently.
- →The large deal of $160 million announced earlier in the year is fully ramped up and the transition is complete.
- →The company continues to see a strong pipeline and confidence in its value proposition across verticals and geographies.
Capex plans
Yes- →Sonata Software is continuing to invest in AI capabilities and related talent, as highlighted by ongoing AI-focused hiring despite some quarterly hiring delays.
- →Investments are being made to support large deals and digital transformation programs, especially in modernization engineering with cloud and data focus.
- →The company has made strategic acquisitions like Quant Systems to strengthen its offerings, especially in data privacy and cross-selling opportunities.
- →Capital expenses relating to acquisitions include borrowings tied to Quant acquisition with associated finance costs over the next 2 years due to deferred payments.
- →Investments in platformization and modernization are core to Sonata’s strategy to win and scale large enterprise deals.
- →The company indicated plans to maintain margin levels in the lower 20s internationally, balancing investments with profitability.
- →No detailed breakdown of specific capital expenditure amounts was disclosed, but strategic investments are a key theme for growth and competitiveness.
How does Sonata Software Ltd rank vs peers in IT - Software?
Pro feature1Sonata Software Ltd
Rev 3Mar 3
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