Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. (NASDAQ:CTSH) Receives $79.47 Average PT from Analysts

Shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. (NASDAQ:CTSH) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Hold” by the twenty brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $79.47.

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on CTSH shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $76.00 target price on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. Mizuho raised 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, November 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Cognizant Technology Solutions from $82.00 to $89.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, September 6th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions in a research report on Thursday, October 31st.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Stock Up 0.4 %

CTSH opened at $80.82 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $40.07 billion, a PE ratio of 17.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.05. Cognizant Technology Solutions has a twelve month low of $63.79 and a twelve month high of $82.41. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $77.45 and a 200 day moving average price of $73.78. The company has a quick ratio of 2.23, a current ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08.

Cognizant Technology Solutions (NASDAQ:CTSH) last announced 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. The business had revenue of $5.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.99 billion. Cognizant Technology Solutions had a return on equity of 17.08% and a net margin of 11.60%. The business’s revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.16 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Cognizant Technology Solutions will post 4.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 19th were issued a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 19th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.48%. Cognizant Technology Solutions’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.55%.

Institutional Trading of Cognizant Technology Solutions

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CTSH. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions during the second quarter worth $25,000. Addison Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Cognizant Technology Solutions by 127.7% during the 3rd quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 337 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 189 shares in the last quarter. LRI Investments LLC purchased a new position in Cognizant Technology Solutions during the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in Cognizant Technology Solutions in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. increased its stake in Cognizant Technology Solutions by 47.4% during the third quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 454 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.44% of the company’s stock.

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.