14,891 Shares in Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. (NASDAQ:CTSH) Bought by MSH Capital Advisors LLC

MSH Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. (NASDAQ:CTSH - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 14,891 shares of the information technology service provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,145,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in CTSH. Zacks Investment Management bought a new position in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $258,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions by 70.4% during the 4th quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 11,562 shares of the information technology service provider's stock valued at $889,000 after buying an additional 4,776 shares during the last quarter. United Capital Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Cognizant Technology Solutions by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. United Capital Financial Advisors LLC now owns 24,944 shares of the information technology service provider's stock worth $1,918,000 after acquiring an additional 317 shares during the last quarter. Bridgewater Associates LP raised its stake in Cognizant Technology Solutions by 45.2% in the 4th quarter. Bridgewater Associates LP now owns 69,968 shares of the information technology service provider's stock valued at $5,381,000 after acquiring an additional 21,767 shares during the period. Finally, Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super purchased a new stake in Cognizant Technology Solutions during the fourth quarter valued at about $17,480,000. 92.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Price Performance

NASDAQ CTSH traded down $1.80 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $67.64. The company's stock had a trading volume of 515,244 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,956,182. The company has a market capitalization of $33.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.00, a PEG ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a quick ratio of 2.09, a current ratio of 2.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. has a 1 year low of $63.79 and a 1 year high of $90.82. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $78.81 and its 200-day moving average price is $78.86.

Cognizant Technology Solutions (NASDAQ:CTSH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The information technology service provider reported $1.21 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.12 by $0.09. Cognizant Technology Solutions had a net margin of 11.35% and a return on equity of 16.78%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. will post 4.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 18th were issued a $0.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 18th. This is a positive change from Cognizant Technology Solutions's previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.83%. Cognizant Technology Solutions's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.49%.

Cognizant Technology Solutions announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Tuesday, March 25th that allows the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the information technology service provider to repurchase up to 5.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions from $88.00 to $94.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. StockNews.com upgraded Cognizant Technology Solutions from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Mizuho raised shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 19th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions from $93.00 to $88.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 17th. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $84.44.

Cognizant Technology Solutions 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.