Analysts Set Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. (NASDAQ:CTSH) Price Target at $83.67

Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. (NASDAQ:CTSH) has received a consensus rating of “Hold” from the twenty brokerages that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $83.39.

A number of brokerages have recently commented on CTSH. StockNews.com raised Cognizant Technology Solutions from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions from $85.00 to $80.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions from $88.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions from $83.00 to $86.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on Cognizant Technology Solutions from $95.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Trading Down 3.6 %

Cognizant Technology Solutions stock opened at $79.50 on Friday. Cognizant Technology Solutions has a 52-week low of $63.79 and a 52-week high of $90.82. The company has a quick ratio of 2.09, a current ratio of 2.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $39.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.63, a PEG ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.12. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $82.28 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $79.38.

Cognizant Technology Solutions (NASDAQ:CTSH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The information technology service provider reported $1.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.12 by $0.09. Cognizant Technology Solutions had a return on equity of 16.78% and a net margin of 11.35%. Sell-side analysts expect that Cognizant Technology Solutions will post 4.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 18th were paid a $0.31 dividend. This is a positive change from Cognizant Technology Solutions’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.56%. Cognizant Technology Solutions’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.49%.

Institutional Trading of Cognizant Technology Solutions

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CTSH. Addison Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions by 127.7% during the third quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 337 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 189 shares in the last quarter. Duncker Streett & Co. Inc. acquired a new stake in Cognizant Technology Solutions during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in Cognizant Technology Solutions during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Trust Co. of Vermont increased its holdings in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions by 188.4% in the 4th quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 447 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 292 shares during the period. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions in the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. 92.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Cognizant Technology Solutions

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.