Bharti Airtel share price hits record high; should you buy, sell or hold the stock ahead of Q4 result?

Bharti Airtel share price climbed over 3 per cent to hit a record high in intraday trade on Thursday, April 17. Bharti Airtel shares opened at ₹1,831.60 against their previous close of ₹1,823 and rose 3.6 per cent to an all-time high of ₹1,888. Around 2:45 PM, the stock traded 3.33 per cent higher at ₹1,883.70 on the BSE. 

Bharti Airtel share price trend

Bharti Airtel shares have seen healthy gains in the current calendar year, defying market volatility. The telecom stock jumped 15 per cent this year until April 16, against a 1.4 per cent decline in the Sensex.

Over the last year, the stock has jumped 50 per cent, while in the last three and five years, the stock has given returns of 147 per cent and 266 per cent, respectively.

Bharti Airtel's share price hit a 52-week low of ₹1,215.70 on April 18 last year.

Why is Bhati Airtel stock rising?

The recent rise in the stock price could be attributed to the company's healthy growth prospects.

Recently, Bharti Airtel announced a collaboration with Blinkit to provide SIM cards to customers' homes in just 10 minutes.

Through an exchange filing, the company said it offers a unique service as a telco. The company is now operational in 16 cities across the nation and intends to expand to additional cities and towns in the future.

Moreover, experts also point out that the market is expecting decent Q4 earnings from the telecom major.

According to brokerage firm Motilal Oswal Financial Services, Bharti Airtel's Q4FY25 revenue may see a year-on-year (YoY) growth of 27 per cent, while adjusted profit after tax (PAT) may jump 99.2 per cent YoY. EBITDA, as per the brokerage firm, may jump 38.9 per cent YoY.

Kotak Institutional Equities expects a 26 per cent YoY growth in Bharti Airtel's Q4FY25 revenue and an 89 per cent YoY jump in adjusted PAT. EBITDA may increase 36 per cent YoY, led by continued subscriber additions in the India wireless business.

"We model nearly 35 lakh wireless net adds (versus nearly 49 lakh gain quarter-on-quarter) and expect ARPU to increase to ₹248 (versus ₹245 quarter-on-quarter) during the quarter," said Kotak.

Bharti Airtel: Should you buy, sell or hold ahead of Q4 result?

Shitij Gandhi, Senior Technical Research Analyst at SMC Global Securities, pointed out that from a technical standpoint, the stock remains firmly in a bullish trend, trading in a higher-high formation.

A fresh breakout following a prolonged period of consolidation has pushed the stock to new all-time highs, reinforcing the positive momentum.

Gandhi said as long as the stock holds above ₹1,750, the near-term outlook remains optimistic.

"In the short to medium term, the bullish bias is expected to persist as long as the stock trades above the 1,640 level. Key interim support is placed at 1,720 and 1,675, respectively, while on the upside, the stock has the potential to rally towards 2,050 in the coming months. However, the near-term resistance may be around 1,880 and ₹1,980 levels," said Gandhi.

Mandar Bhojane, an equity research analyst at Choice Broking, pointed out that Bharti Airtel has been consistently forming higher highs and higher lows, indicating a strong bullish trend.

On the weekly chart, the stock has broken out of a rounding bottom pattern with significant volume, suggesting a shift in long-term sentiment toward sustained upside momentum. This breakout reinforces the positive structure and signals the potential for further gains if the price sustains above ₹1,800, said Bhojane.

Bhojane believes if Bharti Airtel maintains levels above ₹1,800, the bullish momentum may carry the stock towards the next resistance zones at ₹1,900 and ₹1,950. On the downside, ₹1,750 is expected to act as immediate support.

Technical indicators remain supportive, with the RSI at 67.9 trending upward and the Stochastic RSI showing a positive crossover, indicating continued buying interest.

"Any dip toward ₹1,800 can be considered a buying opportunity, as the zone aligns with both psychological and technical support. For prudent risk management, a stop-loss at ₹1,750 is recommended. The overall outlook remains bullish, making Bharti Airtel a strong candidate for a buy-on-dips strategy," said Bhojane.

While the stock appears to be a good long-term bet, some technical experts see the scope for profit booking at the current juncture.

Jigar S. Patel, Senior Manager of Equity Research at Anand Rathi Share and Stock Brokers, highlighted that Bharti Airtel trades near its R4 Camarilla monthly pivot resistance, indicating a potential pause or reversal.

Patel underscored that this is a good area for profit booking in long-existing positions.

Patel advised waiting for a weekly close above ₹1,850 for fresh upside momentum, which would confirm strength and open the door for further bullish movement. He said that staying cautious and avoiding aggressive longs is a prudent approach.

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Disclaimer: This story is for educational purposes only. The views and recommendations above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, not Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions, as market conditions can change rapidly, and circumstances may vary.