Farther Finance Advisors LLC Sells 220 Shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. (NASDAQ:CTSH)

Farther Finance Advisors LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. (NASDAQ:CTSH) by 5.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 4,223 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock after selling 220 shares during the quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC’s holdings in Cognizant Technology Solutions were worth $325,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of CTSH. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Cognizant Technology Solutions by 76.3% during the 4th quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 15,037 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock valued at $1,156,000 after acquiring an additional 6,510 shares during the period. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI lifted its position in Cognizant Technology Solutions by 12.6% during the fourth quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 3,011 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock valued at $232,000 after purchasing an additional 336 shares during the period. Independent Advisor Alliance purchased a new stake in Cognizant Technology Solutions in the fourth quarter worth approximately $328,000. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. grew its position in Cognizant Technology Solutions by 5.9% in the 4th quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 107,396 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock worth $8,259,000 after purchasing an additional 5,976 shares during the period. Finally, Simplicity Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Cognizant Technology Solutions during the 4th quarter valued at $221,000. 92.44% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ CTSH opened at $80.02 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a quick ratio of 2.09 and a current ratio of 2.09. Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. has a one year low of $63.79 and a one year high of $90.82. The firm has a market cap of $39.58 billion, a PE ratio of 17.74, a PEG ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.12. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $82.46 and a 200 day moving average of $79.44.

Cognizant Technology Solutions (NASDAQ:CTSH) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The information technology service provider reported $1.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.12 by $0.09. Cognizant Technology Solutions had a return on equity of 16.78% and a net margin of 11.35%. As a group, research analysts predict that Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. will post 4.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th were paid a dividend of $0.31 per share. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.55%. This is a boost from Cognizant Technology Solutions’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 18th. Cognizant Technology Solutions’s dividend payout ratio is 27.49%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on CTSH shares. Barclays raised their price target on Cognizant Technology Solutions from $95.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Needham & Company LLC restated a “hold” rating on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective 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, March 12th. UBS Group dropped their price objective 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. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Cognizant Technology Solutions has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $83.50.

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.