Infosys (INFY) Lands a Brake Maker as Growth Stays in Low Gear

Infosys (INFY) Lands a Brake Maker as Growth Stays in Low Gear

Sat, September 19, 2026 at 10:47 PM GMT+3 4 min read

• INFY -2.26%

On August 18, Infosys (NYSE:INFY) announced a long-term deal to manage the enterprise software behind Knorr-Bremse AG, a maker of braking systems for rail and commercial vehicles. The work stretches from ERP and data platforms to engineering and product lifecycle tools, and it runs on Infosys Topaz, the company's AI offering. It is a nice win. But the results Infosys posted on July 23 give it some context, and that context cuts both ways.

AI Is Starting to Pay

Start with AI, the pitch Infosys leads with. In the quarter ended June 30, AI made up 8.2% of revenue, which shows the technology is reaching the income statement and not just the press releases. Large deal wins totaled $3.6 billion, and most of it, 61%, was net new. The Knorr-Bremse contract fits the pattern. Infosys will apply generative and agentic AI to automate work inside the managed services it runs, aiming to go past routine outsourcing and deliver productivity gains the customer can measure. And because the deal spans both of the customer's divisions, Infosys will be embedded in the core systems of a manufacturer whose products are safety-critical.

The financial engine is also sturdier than the growth rate suggests. Operating margin came in at 21.1%, inside the 20% to 22% range Infosys kept for its FY27 guidance. Cash backs it up. Free cash flow reached $955 million, which was 116.5% of net profit, so earnings are turning into real money and not just accounting figures. That gives Infosys a way to fund its AI push from its own operations.

The Speedometer Barely Moves

Growth is the weak spot. Revenue rose 2.4% from a year earlier in constant currency and only 1.0% from the prior quarter, a pace that sits awkwardly beside all the talk of AI momentum. Infosys also revised its FY27 revenue guidance to a range of 1.5% to 3.0%, so management is not promising a sudden acceleration. The best-looking figure deserves a second glance too. Earnings per share grew 14.9% in rupee terms, but basic EPS in dollars rose just 3.7% to $0.20, so the rupee number paints a rosier picture than the dollar one.

Then there is what we do not know. The Knorr-Bremse announcement gives no contract value, so there is no way to tell how much revenue it adds. AI, at 8.2% of revenue, is still a minority of the business. And the CFO called the operating environment challenging while saying Infosys is spending more on AI, talent and platforms. Those are costs the margin has to absorb, and its gain over the prior quarter was only 0.2%.

Funds Lean In, Shorts Shrug

Hedge fund ownership rose to 71 funds from 63 in the prior quarter, which reads as conviction building rather than fading. Short interest stands at 3.70% of float, so few investors are organized against the stock. The forward P/E is 13.37 as of September 18. At that multiple, the market is paying for modest growth and not a boom. That fits guidance of 1.5% to 3.0% revenue growth.

Two Stories, One Ticker

Infosys is telling an AI story while its results still read like those of a slow-growing services company. The Knorr-Bremse win supports the first tale, and strong cash generation gives management room to keep spending on it. Bulls need AI's share of revenue to climb fast enough to lift the overall pace, while bears will be proven right if big wins keep landing without much showing up in the top line.

While we acknowledge the potential of INFY as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on thebest short-term AI stock.

READ NEXT: 10 Best Future Stocks to Buy Under $10 and 12 Best Performing Semiconductor Stocks to Invest In.

Disclosure: None. Follow Insider Monkey on Google News.