Infosys (NSE, BSE, NYSE: INFY), a global leader in digital services and consulting, has announced a groundbreaking ten-year strategic alliance with HanesBrands Inc. (NYSE: HBI), a global apparel company. This collaboration aims to revolutionize HanesBrands' digital landscape, business applications, and data infrastructure.

AI-Powered Transformation

At the heart of this partnership is Infosys' commitment to deploying its cutting-edge AI technologies:

• The Live Enterprise Automation Platform (LEAP)
• Infosys Topaz, an AI-first suite of services and solutions

These platforms will leverage generative AI and AIOps technologies to modernize HanesBrands' core operations, enhance agility, simplify its IT landscape, and unlock greater value from data.

Strategic Objectives

The alliance is set to address several key priorities for HanesBrands:

1. Technology optimization
2. Resource efficiency
3. Cultural alignment

Scott Pleiman, Chief Strategy, Transformation, Analytics and Technology Officer at HanesBrands, emphasized the company's search for an experienced collaborator with deep domain expertise in AI-driven transformation. He stated, "As we continue to evolve our operational model, we sought an experienced collaborator with deep domain expertise and advanced capabilities in AI-driven transformation."

Infosys' Commitment

Karmesh Vaswani, EVP & Global Head of Consumer, Retail & Logistics at Infosys, expressed the company's dedication to the partnership: "We are honored to support HanesBrands in its journey toward a future-ready enterprise. With a shared commitment to innovation, we aim to unlock significant business value and elevate customer experiences utilizing Infosys Topaz AI and AIOps capabilities, now further strengthened with LEAP."

Expected Outcomes

The collaboration is poised to deliver several benefits to HanesBrands:

• Modernization of core operations
• Enhanced agility in business processes
• Simplified IT landscape
• Improved data utilization through AI technologies

This strategic alliance underscores the growing importance of AI and digital transformation in the retail and apparel industry. As companies like HanesBrands seek to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market, partnerships with tech giants like Infosys are becoming increasingly crucial.

The ten-year engagement between Infosys and HanesBrands represents a significant commitment to long-term innovation and operational excellence, potentially setting a new standard for AI-driven transformation in the global apparel industry.

Infosys , the Indian IT giant, saw its shares climb 2% to reach an intraday high of Rs 1,535.00 as investors eagerly anticipate the company's share buyback meeting scheduled for September 11. This potential buyback, if approved, would mark Infosys' fifth such initiative, highlighting the company's commitment to returning value to shareholders.

Historical Buyback Performance

Infosys' track record with share buybacks has been largely positive for investors. Data shows that in three out of four previous instances, the company's shares experienced gains over both three- and six-month periods following buyback announcements. However, the one-month performance post-announcement has been mixed, suggesting that short-term market reactions can be unpredictable.

Previous Buyback and Current Valuation

The company's most recent share buyback occurred in 2022, with Infosys allocating Rs 9,300.00 crore for open market repurchases. This demonstrates the company's substantial financial capacity to engage in such shareholder-friendly actions.

Market expert Neeraj Dewan provided insights on the current scenario, noting that Infosys' valuations appear more attractive now compared to the previous buyback period. He pointed out that the stock has been consolidating at lower levels, potentially offering a more favorable entry point for the company to repurchase its shares.

Technical Indicators and Stock Performance

Recent technical analysis reveals some positive momentum for Infosys shares:

• The Relative Strength Index (RSI) has risen to 53.27, crossing above the 50 mark.
• This movement in the RSI suggests renewed upward momentum for the stock.

Despite the recent 2% gain and the 7% increase over two days, it's important to note that Infosys shares remain down more than 18% year-to-date. This context underscores the significance of the potential buyback in potentially supporting the stock price.

Investor Outlook

As the September 11 buyback meeting approaches, investors and market watchers will be keenly observing the outcome. If approved, this fifth buyback could signal management's confidence in the company's financial health and long-term prospects.

The market's positive reaction ahead of the meeting, as evidenced by the recent share price increase, suggests that investors are optimistic about the potential buyback announcement. However, as with any market event, the actual impact on share prices post-announcement remains to be seen.

Investors should keep in mind that while share buybacks can be a positive signal, they should also consider broader market conditions, the company's fundamental performance, and their own investment goals when making decisions.