UBS Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Cognizant Technology Solutions (NASDAQ:CTSH) Stock

Cognizant Technology Solutions (NASDAQ:CTSH - Free Report) had its price objective increased by UBS Group from $83.00 to $86.00 in a research report sent to investors on Monday morning,Benzinga reports. UBS Group currently has a neutral rating on the information technology service provider's stock.

CTSH has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, October 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Cognizant Technology Solutions from $70.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Barclays upgraded Cognizant Technology Solutions from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $80.00 to $95.00 in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. StockNews.com downgraded Cognizant Technology Solutions from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, January 13th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions from $75.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Cognizant Technology Solutions presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $83.22.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Stock Down 1.0 %

Shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions stock traded down $0.89 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $86.20. The company had a trading volume of 3,909,307 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,039,668. The company has a 50 day moving average of $79.44 and a 200 day moving average of $77.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $42.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.07, a P/E/G ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.07. Cognizant Technology Solutions has a 52-week low of $63.79 and a 52-week high of $87.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a current ratio of 2.23.

Cognizant Technology Solutions (NASDAQ:CTSH - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The information technology service provider reported $1.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.12 by $0.09. Cognizant Technology Solutions had a return on equity of 17.08% and a net margin of 11.60%. On average, equities analysts predict that Cognizant Technology Solutions will post 4.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be issued a dividend of $0.31 per share. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.44%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 18th. This is a positive change from Cognizant Technology Solutions's previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. Cognizant Technology Solutions's payout ratio is currently 26.55%.

Insider Transactions at Cognizant Technology Solutions

In other Cognizant Technology Solutions news, CAO John Sunshin Kim sold 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.11, for a total transaction of $400,550.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 39,022 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,126,052.42. This trade represents a 11.36 % 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. Corporate insiders own 0.26% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Cognizant Technology Solutions

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in CTSH. Addison Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Cognizant Technology Solutions by 127.7% in the 3rd quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 337 shares of the information technology service provider's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 189 shares in the last quarter. Duncker Streett & Co. Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in Cognizant Technology Solutions during the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Trust Co. of Vermont grew its holdings in Cognizant Technology Solutions by 188.4% during the 4th quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 447 shares of the information technology service provider's stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 292 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. increased its stake 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 worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 146 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.