** Bharti Airtel BRTI.NS posted seventh consecutive quarterly profit jump as subscribers upgraded to higher-margin telecom plans
** Shares of India's second-largest mobile carrier by number of users trading flat on the day
ARPU GROWTH DRIVES MARGINS, BOOSTS FREE CASH FLOW
** Macquarie ("Outperform", PT: 2250 rupees) says co's third-quarter was operationally in line, supported by ARPU-led margin expansion and strong free cash flow
** Goldman Sachs ("Buy", raises PT to 2250 rupees from 2230 rupees) notes a steady quarter with improving free cash flow, resilient wireless growth and easing capex intensity
** ICICI Securities highlights co's resilient India wireless performance, steady ARPU growth, margin expansion and lower net debt on strong cash generation
** Jefferies ("buy", revises PT to 2575 rupees from 2760 rupees) says third-quarter results were broadly in line, with profit growth driven by margin expansion, strong Africa performance and robust free cash flow
(Reporting by Surbhi Misra in Bengaluru)
((Surbhi.Misra@thomsonreuters.com | X: https://twitter.com/SurbhiMisra_ |;))