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CTSH

S&P 500
Neutral · 56/100

Cognizant

Information Technology
IT Consulting & Other Services

$41.83

4.3%

Updated Today 7:15 PM ET

Price — Past Year

▼ Down 44.8% over the last 12 months

Price 50-day average 200-day averageSource: Yahoo Finance · refreshed daily
Key Metrics

Market Cap

$20.71B

P/E

9.33x

Forward P/E (est.)

9.62x

ROE

14.8%

Revenue Growth

6.6%

EPS Growth

-3.0%

Profit Margin

10.4%

FCF Yield

10.2%

Debt / Equity

0.04x

ROIC

17.0%

Interest Coverage

82.66x

Current Ratio

2.23x

Dividend Yield

2.6%

Implied Growth (rev. DCF)

-3.1%

Rating Score

56/100

Technical Analysis (Educational)
Research

Technical analysis reads price and volume to judge momentum and timing. It complements the fundamentals above — it does not replace them. Here is what CTSH's chart says today, with each tool explained.

Trend — moving averages. A moving average is the average closing price over a window, which smooths out daily noise. CTSH trades near $41.83, below its 50-day average ($53.51) and 200-day average ($67.60). Price below both averages is a downtrend — momentum is against buyers for now.

Momentum — RSI. The Relative Strength Index runs 0–100 and measures how strong recent gains are versus losses. Above 70 is "overbought", below 30 "oversold". At 15 it is oversold — selling has been heavy and a bounce is possible.

MACD. MACD compares two moving averages to flag shifts in momentum. Its histogram is currently negative — short-term momentum is fading.

Volatility — ATR. Average True Range is the typical daily move. CTSH's is $2.39 (~5.7% of price), so swings of about that size each day are normal — handy for setting a stop that isn't too tight.

Support & resistance. Over the last month CTSH found buyers near $43.41 (support) and sellers near $57.65 (resistance); its 52-week range is $43.41–$87.03. A decisive break beyond either edge often marks the next move.

Volume. The latest session traded 5.1× the 20-day average — heavier than usual, which adds conviction to the move. Rising volume on up-days suggests real buying; on down-days, real selling.

Educational information to help you read a chart — not a recommendation or a forecast. It updates daily as the price and indicators change.

Business Overview
Research

Cognizant (CTSH) is a large-cap company in the IT Consulting & Other Services industry, part of the Information Technology sector of the S&P 500, with a market value around $20.71B.

In its latest reported year it generated about $21.11B in revenue and $2.23B in net profit.

Our model rates CTSH Neutral (56/100) on growth, profitability, financial health, and valuation. The summary below is built from its filed financials and current ratios and refreshes automatically.

Revenue Growth
Research

4Y CAGR

3.3%

Revenue moved from $18.51B in 2021 to $21.11B in 2025, a 3.3% compound annual growth rate. The most recent year grew a steady 6.6% year over year. Slower, mature growth is common for established businesses.

Profitability
Research

Gross Margin

33.5%

Operating Margin

16.1%

Net Margin

10.6%

ROE

14.8%

Cognizant keeps about 10.4% of each sales dollar as net profit, with a 33.5% gross margin and 16.1% operating margin. Return on equity is 14.8% and return on invested capital about 17.0%. Margins are moderate — typical of a competitive but profitable business.

Debt Analysis
Research

Total Debt

$750.00M

Net Debt

-$754.00M

Net cash position

Net Debt / EBITDA

-0.22x

Debt / Equity

0.04x

Leverage: debt-to-equity is 0.0x, and operating profit covers interest about 82.7x, with a current ratio of 2.2x. That is a conservative balance sheet — a cushion in downturns. It carries roughly $750.00M of total debt against $1.50B of cash.

Cash Flow Analysis
Research

Operating CF

$2.88B

Free Cash Flow

$2.60B

FCF Margin

12.3%

In the latest year Cognizant produced about $2.88B of operating cash flow and $2.60B of free cash flow after capital spending. That is a free-cash-flow yield of about 10.2% on today's price. Strong cash generation funds dividends, buybacks, and reinvestment.

Valuation Analysis
Research

P/E

9.33x

P/S

1.15x

P/B

2.28x

EV / EBITDA

5.95x

CTSH trades at 9.3x trailing earnings (about 9.6x on estimated forward earnings), 1.2x sales, and 2.3x book value. Reverse-engineering today's price implies the market expects roughly -3.1% long-term free-cash-flow growth. That is an undemanding multiple — potentially cheap if the business is stable.

Metrics vs. Typical Range

Where this stock sits versus what most companies trade at.

TTM P/E
9.3xCheap
Forward P/E
9.6xCheap
P/S ratio
1.2xCheap
Revenue growth
6.6%Strong
EPS growth
-3.0%Weak
Gross margin
33.5%Weak
Net margin
10.4%Strong
ROE
14.8%Average

Typical ranges are general references (e.g., many stocks trade at ~18–26x earnings), not hard rules. Context only — not investment advice.

Sector Peer Comparison

How CTSH stacks up against its Information Technology peers — valuation, profitability, and growth versus the sector median.

In the Information Technology sector (72 S&P 500 companies), CTSH ranks #45 of 72 by our overall rating. It trades at a discount versus the sector on earnings (9.3x P/E vs. 35.6x median) with a lower return on equity (14.8% vs. 25.6%) and slower revenue growth (6.6% vs. 17.4%).

P/E vs sector

9.3x

median 35.6x

ROE vs sector

14.8%

median 25.6%

Growth vs sector

6.6%

median 17.4%

Sector rank

#45

of 72 by rating

CompanyP/ERev Gr.Rating
CTSHThis stock9.3x6.6%Neutral· 56
IT11.6x2.3%Neutral· 49
ACN10.4x7.3%Favorable· 63
IBM21.8x9.7%Favorable· 64
HPQ8.4x5.7%Neutral· 53
SMCI15.9x56.2%Favorable· 64
FFIV30.7x9.7%Favorable· 62
AKAM41.8x6.2%Weak· 39
Information Technology median35.6x17.4%61/100

Valuation vs. quality map

sector medianITACNIBMHPQSMCIFFIVAKAMCTSHP/E — cheaper ←→ pricierROE — more profitable ↑

The sweet spot is upper-left: more profitable (higher ROE) for a lower P/E. Dashed lines mark the sector median.

Compare side by side

Peers are the closest Information Technology companies by sub-industry and size. Sector median is across all 72 S&P 500 names in the sector. Educational, not a recommendation.

5-Year Projection Model

Project revenue → earnings → price. Edit the assumptions to build your own case.

2030 price target (Base Case)

$34.36$61.85

vs. $41.83 today · expected CAGR -4%8%

Metric20262027202820292030
Revenue$22.59B$24.17B$25.86B$27.67B$29.61B
Net income$2.48B$2.66B$2.84B$3.04B$3.26B
EPS$5.24$5.61$6.00$6.42$6.87
Share price (low)$26.21$28.05$30.01$32.11$34.36
Share price (high)$47.19$50.49$54.02$57.80$61.85
CAGR (low–high)-37% / 13%-18% / 10%-10% / 9%-6% / 8%-4% / 8%

Educational model on sample fundamentals — not a forecast or investment advice. Outputs are only as good as your assumptions.

Bull Case

The case for CTSH:

  • Healthy free-cash-flow yield (~10.2%) funds buybacks and dividends.
  • A conservative balance sheet (debt/equity 0.0x) lowers risk.
  • Pays a 2.6% dividend on top of any price gains.
Bear Case

The case against CTSH:

  • Like any single stock, it is exposed to competition, the economic cycle, and shifts in its end markets.
Key Risks
Research

Market risk — sector rotation, the economic cycle, and broad sentiment move the stock regardless of fundamentals.

Investment Thesis
Research

On balance, the picture is mixed: Cognizant is a large-cap information technology business growing at a mature pace, with modest profitability, and a sound balance sheet. It trades at 9.3x earnings, which our model scores Neutral (56/100). Weigh this against your own goals and time horizon — this is educational information, not a recommendation.

Data notice. Fundamentals and financial statements are sourced from company filings (SEC EDGAR) and market-data providers; prices and market caps refresh on trading days and may be delayed. Ratings, projections, technical signals, and written summaries are model- or rule-generated for education and may simplify or lag the latest filings.

Not advice. Nothing on this page is investment advice or a recommendation to buy, hold, or sell any security. Do your own research and consult a licensed financial professional before investing.