Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. (NASDAQ:CTSH) Receives Average Recommendation of "Hold" from Analysts

Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. (NASDAQ:CTSH - Get Free Report) has received an average recommendation of "Hold" from the twenty-two brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eighteen have given a hold recommendation and three have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $78.37.

CTSH has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions from $75.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions in a research report on Wednesday, August 28th. They set a "buy" rating and a $90.00 target price on the stock. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Cognizant Technology Solutions from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Cognizant Technology Solutions from $82.00 to $89.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, September 6th. Finally, StockNews.com cut Cognizant Technology Solutions from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Trading Up 0.0 %

Shares of CTSH stock traded up $0.02 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $74.61. 4,101,237 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,030,091. The company has a current ratio of 2.23, a quick ratio of 2.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. Cognizant Technology Solutions has a 12-month low of $62.14 and a 12-month high of $80.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $36.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 1.05. The company's 50-day moving average price is $76.36 and its 200-day moving average price is $72.05.

Cognizant Technology Solutions (NASDAQ:CTSH - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The information technology service provider reported $1.25 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.15 by $0.10. Cognizant Technology Solutions had a return on equity of 17.08% and a net margin of 11.60%. The firm had revenue of $5.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.99 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.16 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Cognizant Technology Solutions will post 4.65 earnings per share for the current year.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 19th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.61%. Cognizant Technology Solutions's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.55%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Cognizant Technology Solutions

In other news, CEO Ravi Kumar Singisetti sold 6,728 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.66, for a total transaction of $495,584.48. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 46,427 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,419,812.82. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Cognizant Technology Solutions

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in CTSH. Norden Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions in the first quarter worth $233,000. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions by 2.9% during the 1st quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 11,419 shares of the information technology service provider's stock valued at $837,000 after buying an additional 323 shares during the last quarter. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions in the 1st quarter valued at about $119,000. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions by 5.5% in the first quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 83,368 shares of the information technology service provider's stock worth $6,110,000 after buying an additional 4,338 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. grew its holdings in Cognizant Technology Solutions by 20.4% during the first quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 3,827 shares of the information technology service provider's stock worth $280,000 after acquiring an additional 648 shares during the period. 92.44% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Company Profile

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation, a professional services company, provides consulting and technology, and outsourcing services in North America, Europe, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Financial Services, Health Sciences, Products and Resources, and Communications, Media and Technology.