Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. (NASDAQ:CTSH) Receives Average Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. (NASDAQ:CTSH) have been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the twenty-two analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eighteen have assigned a hold recommendation and three have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $78.37.

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions in a research note on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions in a report on Wednesday, August 28th. They set a “buy” rating and a $90.00 price objective on the stock. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions from $83.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $76.00 price target on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on Cognizant Technology Solutions from $81.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 28th.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Stock Performance

CTSH opened at $74.61 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $76.36 and a 200 day moving average price of $72.02. Cognizant Technology Solutions has a 1 year low of $62.14 and a 1 year high of $80.27. The stock has a market cap of $36.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.51, a P/E/G ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 2.46 and a quick ratio of 2.46.

Cognizant Technology Solutions (NASDAQ:CTSH) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The information technology service provider reported $1.25 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.14 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $5.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.99 billion. Cognizant Technology Solutions had a return on equity of 17.37% and a net margin of 11.60%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.16 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Cognizant Technology Solutions will post 4.62 earnings per share for the current year.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 19th will be given a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.61%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 19th. Cognizant Technology Solutions’s payout ratio is presently 26.55%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Cognizant Technology Solutions news, CEO Ravi Kumar Singisetti sold 6,728 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.66, for a total transaction of $495,584.48. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 46,427 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,419,812.82. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Cognizant Technology Solutions

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in CTSH. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. increased its holdings in Cognizant Technology Solutions by 47.4% in the 3rd quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 454 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares during the last quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. grew its stake in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions by 42.1% in the second quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 533 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 158 shares in the last quarter. Choate Investment Advisors raised its holdings in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Choate Investment Advisors now owns 48,552 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock valued at $3,558,000 after buying an additional 180 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC lifted its stake in Cognizant Technology Solutions by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 11,169 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock worth $862,000 after acquiring an additional 194 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Personal Financial Services boosted its holdings in Cognizant Technology Solutions by 0.6% during the 2nd quarter. First Personal Financial Services now owns 34,893 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock valued at $2,373,000 after acquiring an additional 195 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.