Cognizant Technology Solutions (NASDAQ:CTSH) Price Target Cut to $70.00 by Analysts at Evercore

Key Points

• Evercore cut its price target on Cognizant to $70 from $100, a level that implies roughly a 32.5% upside from the recent share price.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed with multiple firms trimming targets; the consensus is a Hold rating and an average price target of $77.15 (10 Buys, 11 Holds), signaling downward pressure on valuation.
• Operationally, Cognizant beat Q1 EPS estimates ($1.40 vs. $1.33), maintained a $0.33 quarterly dividend and set FY2026 EPS guidance of $5.63–$5.77, but a weak Q2 revenue outlook and Project Leap restructuring pose near‑term risks.

Cognizant Technology Solutions (NASDAQ:CTSH - Get Free Report) had its target price dropped by research analysts at Evercore from $100.00 to $70.00 in a report issued on Thursday,MarketScreener reports. Evercore's price objective points to a potential upside of 32.50% from the company's previous close.

A number of other brokerages have also commented on CTSH. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions from $92.00 to $74.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Berenberg Bank set a $107.00 price objective on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions from $82.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions from $90.00 to $80.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $77.15.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:CTSH traded down $0.07 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $52.83. 727,898 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,420,106. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 2.14 and a current ratio of 2.23. The company has a market cap of $25.27 billion, a PE ratio of 11.51, a P/E/G ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 0.98. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $60.88 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $71.58. Cognizant Technology Solutions has a twelve month low of $52.33 and a twelve month high of $87.03.

Cognizant Technology Solutions (NASDAQ:CTSH - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The information technology service provider reported $1.40 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.33 by $0.07. Cognizant Technology Solutions had a net margin of 10.41% and a return on equity of 17.50%. The business had revenue of $5.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.41 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.23 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. Cognizant Technology Solutions has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.630-5.770 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Cognizant Technology Solutions will post 5.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Surya Gummadi sold 1,728 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.06, for a total value of $143,527.68. Following the sale, the insider owned 25,641 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,129,741.46. This represents a 6.31% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.32% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Cognizant Technology Solutions

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions during the third quarter valued at approximately $4,422,000. Alps Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions by 16.5% during the third quarter. Alps Advisors Inc. now owns 306,078 shares of the information technology service provider's stock valued at $20,529,000 after acquiring an additional 43,252 shares during the period. Arjuna Capital increased its stake in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions by 62.6% during the third quarter. Arjuna Capital now owns 24,622 shares of the information technology service provider's stock valued at $1,651,000 after acquiring an additional 9,482 shares during the period. National Pension Service increased its stake in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions by 5.5% during the third quarter. National Pension Service now owns 863,720 shares of the information technology service provider's stock valued at $57,930,000 after acquiring an additional 45,016 shares during the period. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions by 11.0% during the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 193,464 shares of the information technology service provider's stock valued at $12,976,000 after acquiring an additional 19,177 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.44% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Cognizant Technology Solutions

Here are the key news stories impacting Cognizant Technology Solutions this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 EPS beat and margin improvement — Cognizant reported Q1 EPS above estimates and raised its 2026 margin outlook, supporting a view of improving profitability. Cognizant Q1 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend maintained — Management declared a quarterly dividend of $0.33/share (record May 18), which supports income investors and signals confidence in cash flow. (Company announcement)
• Positive Sentiment: Selective analyst bullishness — Nomura raised its price target to $93 and kept a buy rating, showing some bullish conviction among analysts. Nomura raises PT
• Neutral Sentiment: Astreya acquisition (~$600M) — Cognizant agreed to buy Astreya to bolster AI/cloud capabilities; strategic upside if integrated successfully, but adds near‑term cash outflow and execution risk. Cognizant to buy Astreya
• Negative Sentiment: Cluster of price‑target cuts — Several firms trimmed targets (Morgan Stanley to $63, JPMorgan to $74, Wedbush to $56, Wells Fargo to $83, Guggenheim to $80) reflecting more conservative views on growth and valuation; broad analyst downgrades/PT cuts are pressuring the stock. Morgan Stanley cuts PT JPMorgan cuts PT Wedbush cuts PT Wells Fargo cuts PT Guggenheim lowers PT
• Negative Sentiment: Q2 revenue outlook miss & cost program — Management’s Q2 revenue outlook disappointed investors and the company announced cost‑cutting measures, prompting near‑term concern about top‑line momentum despite cost actions. Q2 outlook miss
• Negative Sentiment: Project Leap & restructuring risk — Analysts flagged risks from the Project Leap restructuring and related execution/cost pressures, which could weigh on margins and productivity if issues persist. Project Leap risks

Cognizant Technology Solutions Company Profile

Cognizant Technology Solutions NASDAQ: CTSH is a global professional services company that provides information technology, consulting and business process services to large enterprises. Its core offerings include digital engineering, application development and maintenance, cloud migration and managed services, data analytics and artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and industry-specific solutions. Cognizant works with clients to design and implement technology-enabled transformations that address customer experience, operational efficiency and new product and service delivery.

Founded in the 1990s and headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey, Cognizant has grown into a multinational organization with delivery centers and operations across the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

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