Prabhudas Lilladher Maintains BUY Rating on Persistent Systems with ₹7,360 Target Price
Prabhudas Lilladher maintains BUY rating on Persistent Systems with ₹7,360 target price following strong Q3 performance. Revenue growth of 4.1% QoQ exceeded estimates, while 9M FY26 ACV reached $722 million with 18% YoY growth. Despite wage hike impact of 180bps, the company absorbed costs through IP-led deals, prompting upward margin revisions of 60bps for FY27E/FY28E.

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Persistent Systems has received a positive assessment from Prabhudas Lilladher, with the brokerage maintaining its BUY rating and setting a target price of ₹7,360. The recommendation comes on the back of strong quarterly performance that exceeded analyst expectations across multiple parameters.
Strong Revenue Performance Drives Optimism
The company delivered impressive revenue growth of 4.1% quarter-on-quarter in constant currency terms, surpassing Prabhudas Lilladher's estimate of 3.2%. This outperformance was supported by broad-based growth across various verticals, demonstrating the company's diversified revenue streams and market positioning.
| Performance Metric | Actual | Estimate | Variance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (QoQ CC) | +4.1% | +3.2% | Beat by 0.9% |
Robust Contract Value Growth Signals Strong Pipeline
The growth visibility appears encouraging with key contract metrics showing substantial year-on-year improvements. The 9-month FY26 Annual Contract Value (ACV) reached $722 million, marking an 18% increase compared to the previous year. Additionally, New Business ACV stood at $256 million, also registering an 18% year-on-year growth.
| Contract Metrics | Value | YoY Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 9M FY26 ACV | $722 million | +18% |
| New Business ACV | $256 million | +18% |
Technology Investments Yield Productivity Benefits
The company's strategic focus on complex areas of data and AI-led product engineering is translating into enhanced growth opportunities. Early investments in intellectual properties and accelerators are demonstrating positive returns through improved productivity and the ability to scale tailored solutions. The AI-powered platform Sasva is particularly noteworthy for its role in optimizing project cycles and delivering productivity benefits to clients.
Ambitious Revenue Targets Maintained
Management has reiterated its ambitious revenue aspirations, targeting $2 billion by FY27E and $5 billion by FY30E. These targets reflect the company's confidence in its strategic direction and market positioning in high-growth technology segments.
Margin Resilience Despite Cost Pressures
Despite facing wage hike impacts of approximately 180 basis points in Q3, the company successfully absorbed these cost pressures through strategic IP-led deals that enabled upfront revenue recognition. This margin resilience has prompted Prabhudas Lilladher to revise their margin estimates upward by 60 basis points each for FY27E and FY28E.
Revised Estimates and Valuation
The brokerage has largely maintained its revenue growth estimates at 17.9% and 18.9% year-on-year in constant currency for FY27E and FY28E respectively. However, the strong Q3 margin performance has led to upward revisions in margin projections. Prabhudas Lilladher has applied a 40x multiple to FY28E earnings per share to arrive at the target price of ₹7,360, maintaining their BUY recommendation on the stock.
Historical Stock Returns for Persistent Systems
| 1 Day | 5 Days | 1 Month | 6 Months | 1 Year | 5 Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -1.69% | -1.93% | -1.93% | +12.39% | +2.37% | +663.39% |
















































