Cognizant Exceeds Q4 Expectations with Strong Outlook
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 4d ago
0mins
Should l Buy CTSH?
Source: seekingalpha
- Significant Earnings Growth: Cognizant's Q4 adjusted EPS rose 11.5% year-over-year to $1.35, while revenue increased 4.9% to $5.33 billion, surpassing analyst expectations and demonstrating the company's strong market performance.
- Increase in Large Deal Signings: The company signed 28 large deals in 2025 with nearly 50% growth in total contract value, including 12 large deals in Q4, indicating sustained competitiveness in securing major projects.
- Optimistic Future Outlook: Cognizant expects Q1 2026 revenue between $5.36 billion and $5.44 billion, with full-year revenue projected at $22.14 billion to $22.66 billion, both exceeding market consensus, reflecting the company's commitment to its AI-led growth strategy.
- Buyback and Dividend Plans: The company repurchased 4.3 million shares for $325 million in Q4 and plans to return $1.6 billion to shareholders in 2026, including $1 billion in share buybacks, demonstrating a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
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Analyst Views on CTSH
Wall Street analysts forecast CTSH stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for CTSH is 87.18 USD with a low forecast of 80.00 USD and a high forecast of 100.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
15 Analyst Rating
5 Buy
10 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 76.840
Low
80.00
Averages
87.18
High
100.00
Current: 76.840
Low
80.00
Averages
87.18
High
100.00
About CTSH
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation engineers modern businesses. Its services include artificial intelligence (AI) and other technology services and solutions, consulting, application development, systems integration, quality engineering and assurance, application maintenance, infrastructure and security as well as business process services and automation. Its segments include Health Sciences (HS), Financial Services (FS), Products and Resources (P&R), and Communications, Media and Technology (CMT). HS segment consists of healthcare providers and payers, and life sciences companies. FS segment includes banking, capital markets, payments and insurance companies. P&R segment includes manufacturers, automakers, retailers, consumer goods companies, and travel and hospitality companies, as well as businesses providing logistics, energy and utility services. CMT segment includes global communications, media and entertainment, education, information services and technology companies.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Strategic Partnership Highlights: Cognizant has formed a strategic partnership with Palantir Technologies to leverage Palantir Foundry and AIP for AI-driven modernization in healthcare and enterprise operations, aiming to enhance operational efficiency and innovation capabilities across industries.
- AI Integration Advancement: Cognizant will integrate Palantir's AI platform within its TriZetto healthcare business, focusing on optimizing high-value workflows, thereby improving client compliance and audit standards in complex, regulated environments.
- Technology and Industry Synergy: This collaboration combines Cognizant's industry expertise with Palantir's advanced data analytics capabilities, aiming to deliver secure, scalable enterprise-grade AI solutions that drive digital transformation across various sectors.
- Future Development Direction: Cognizant and Palantir plan to explore AI transformation initiatives beyond healthcare, further expanding their collaboration scope, reflecting a shared vision for advancing AI innovation and application.
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- Strategic Partnership Highlights: Cognizant's collaboration with Palantir integrates Palantir Foundry and AIP into the TriZetto healthcare platform, aiming to drive AI-enabled modernization in healthcare and enterprise operations, enhancing efficiency in complex environments.
- AI Integration Innovation: By combining Palantir's AI platform capabilities with Cognizant's industry expertise, the partnership will explore AI optimization in TriZetto's high-value workflows, thereby accelerating product development speed and compliance.
- Governance and Security Assurance: The collaboration emphasizes governance-driven AI deployment, ensuring that AI innovations can be securely translated into real-world operations, with Cognizant leveraging its global delivery scale and domain expertise to support this goal.
- Cross-Industry Expansion Plans: Cognizant and Palantir also plan to pursue enterprise AI transformation initiatives beyond healthcare, further expanding the impact of AI solutions and strengthening both companies' market positions in the AI sector.
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- Technology Integration: This collaboration combines Palantir's AI platform capabilities with Cognizant's deep industry expertise, strengthening its ability to modernize mission-critical platforms and create targeted enterprise-grade solutions that enhance client operational efficiency.
- Market Reaction: Cognizant's shares rose 1% in midday trading, while Palantir's fell nearly 6%, indicating differing market perceptions of the partnership's potential and its impact on investor confidence regarding future growth for both companies.
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- Positive Market Reaction: Following the acquisition announcement, Silicon Labs' stock surged by 49%, indicating strong investor confidence in the deal and reflecting optimistic expectations for consolidation within the semiconductor industry.
- Strong Earnings Performance: Silicon Labs reported an adjusted EPS of 56 cents for Q4, slightly above the consensus estimate of 55 cents, demonstrating stable financial performance that enhances the attractiveness of the acquisition.
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- Record Large Contracts: The company secured 12 large deals with a total contract value exceeding $100 million, with the total value of these deals increasing by 60% compared to last year, showcasing Cognizant's competitive edge in securing substantial projects.
- Advancement in AI Strategy: With over 4,000 AI engagements and 30% of development efforts being AI-assisted, Cognizant demonstrates its ongoing commitment to technological innovation aimed at enhancing client ROI, positioning itself as a leader in AI-driven solutions.
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- Profit and Margin Improvement: The adjusted EPS of $1.35 exceeded the analyst estimate of $1.32, while the adjusted operating margin expanded by 30 basis points to 16.0%, reflecting enhanced operational efficiency.
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- Strategic Partnership Highlights: Cognizant has formed a strategic partnership with Palantir Technologies to leverage Palantir Foundry and AIP for AI-driven modernization in healthcare and enterprise operations, aiming to enhance operational efficiency and innovation capabilities across industries.
- AI Integration Advancement: Cognizant will integrate Palantir's AI platform within its TriZetto healthcare business, focusing on optimizing high-value workflows, thereby improving client compliance and audit standards in complex, regulated environments.
- Technology and Industry Synergy: This collaboration combines Cognizant's industry expertise with Palantir's advanced data analytics capabilities, aiming to deliver secure, scalable enterprise-grade AI solutions that drive digital transformation across various sectors.
- Future Development Direction: Cognizant and Palantir plan to explore AI transformation initiatives beyond healthcare, further expanding their collaboration scope, reflecting a shared vision for advancing AI innovation and application.
See More
Cognizant Partners with Palantir to Accelerate AI Transformation
- Strategic Partnership Highlights: Cognizant's collaboration with Palantir integrates Palantir Foundry and AIP into the TriZetto healthcare platform, aiming to drive AI-enabled modernization in healthcare and enterprise operations, enhancing efficiency in complex environments.
- AI Integration Innovation: By combining Palantir's AI platform capabilities with Cognizant's industry expertise, the partnership will explore AI optimization in TriZetto's high-value workflows, thereby accelerating product development speed and compliance.
- Governance and Security Assurance: The collaboration emphasizes governance-driven AI deployment, ensuring that AI innovations can be securely translated into real-world operations, with Cognizant leveraging its global delivery scale and domain expertise to support this goal.
- Cross-Industry Expansion Plans: Cognizant and Palantir also plan to pursue enterprise AI transformation initiatives beyond healthcare, further expanding the impact of AI solutions and strengthening both companies' market positions in the AI sector.
See More
Cognizant Partners with Palantir to Enhance AI in Healthcare and Enterprise
- Strategic Partnership: Cognizant has partnered with Palantir Technologies to enhance AI applications in healthcare and enterprise sectors using Palantir Foundry and AI Platform, reflecting Cognizant's commitment to leveraging frontier technologies to modernize its TriZetto healthcare business.
- Technology Integration: This collaboration combines Palantir's AI platform capabilities with Cognizant's deep industry expertise, strengthening its ability to modernize mission-critical platforms and create targeted enterprise-grade solutions that enhance client operational efficiency.
- Market Reaction: Cognizant's shares rose 1% in midday trading, while Palantir's fell nearly 6%, indicating differing market perceptions of the partnership's potential and its impact on investor confidence regarding future growth for both companies.
- Growth Target: Cognizant aims for a revenue growth of 4% to 6.5% by 2026, demonstrating its commitment to expanding its AI builder strategy and driving business growth through technological innovation.
See More
Texas Instruments Acquires Silicon Labs in $7.5B Deal
- Acquisition Agreement: Texas Instruments is set to acquire Silicon Labs for $231 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at $7.5 billion, which not only boosts Silicon Labs' market valuation but also enhances Texas Instruments' competitive edge in the semiconductor sector.
- Positive Market Reaction: Following the acquisition announcement, Silicon Labs' stock surged by 49%, indicating strong investor confidence in the deal and reflecting optimistic expectations for consolidation within the semiconductor industry.
- Strong Earnings Performance: Silicon Labs reported an adjusted EPS of 56 cents for Q4, slightly above the consensus estimate of 55 cents, demonstrating stable financial performance that enhances the attractiveness of the acquisition.
- Industry Consolidation Trend: This acquisition represents a strategic move for Texas Instruments to expand its product line and signifies an acceleration in semiconductor industry consolidation, potentially triggering more similar deals that could reshape the market landscape.
See More
Cognizant Reports Strong Q4 2025 Earnings with AI Growth
- Significant Revenue Growth: Cognizant achieved $5.3 billion in revenue for Q4 2025, reflecting a 3.8% year-over-year increase, all organic, primarily driven by strong performance in the North American market, indicating robust demand in key sectors.
- Record Large Contracts: The company secured 12 large deals with a total contract value exceeding $100 million, with the total value of these deals increasing by 60% compared to last year, showcasing Cognizant's competitive edge in securing substantial projects.
- Advancement in AI Strategy: With over 4,000 AI engagements and 30% of development efforts being AI-assisted, Cognizant demonstrates its ongoing commitment to technological innovation aimed at enhancing client ROI, positioning itself as a leader in AI-driven solutions.
- Shareholder Return Plan: The company plans to return approximately $1.6 billion to shareholders in 2026, reflecting strong cash flow and confidence in future growth, while projecting revenue growth of 4% to 6.5% for the year ahead.
See More
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- Revenue Growth: Cognizant reported a 4.9% year-over-year revenue increase in Q4, reaching $5.33 billion, surpassing the analyst consensus estimate of $5.31 billion, indicating strong performance in the IT consulting and outsourcing sector.
- Profit and Margin Improvement: The adjusted EPS of $1.35 exceeded the analyst estimate of $1.32, while the adjusted operating margin expanded by 30 basis points to 16.0%, reflecting enhanced operational efficiency.
- Order Growth: The company saw a 5% year-over-year increase in bookings to $28.4 billion over the trailing twelve months, with a 9% increase in quarterly bookings, including twelve large contracts, demonstrating robust market demand.
- Future Outlook: Cognizant expects Q1 2026 revenue between $5.360 billion and $5.440 billion, implying growth of 4.8%-6.3%, and full-year 2026 revenue guidance of $22.140 billion to $22.660 billion, showcasing confidence in future growth prospects.
See More
