BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. Has $53.55 Million Stock Holdings in Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. (NASDAQ:CTSH)

BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. decreased its position in Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. (NASDAQ:CTSH) by 25.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 730,638 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock after selling 243,723 shares during the quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. owned approximately 0.15% of Cognizant Technology Solutions worth $53,548,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Cognizant Technology Solutions during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Spire Wealth Management boosted its stake in Cognizant Technology Solutions by 79.1% during the 4th quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 437 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares during the period. Neo Ivy Capital Management acquired a new stake in Cognizant Technology Solutions in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Quarry LP acquired a new position in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions during the fourth quarter worth approximately $43,000. Finally, Valley National Advisers Inc. boosted its position in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions by 43.2% in the fourth quarter. Valley National Advisers Inc. now owns 590 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 178 shares during the period. 92.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CTSH has been the topic of a number of research reports. Mizuho reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $82.00 target price on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions in a research report on Tuesday, June 11th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions in a research report on Monday, June 10th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on Cognizant Technology Solutions from $85.00 to $77.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 30th. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions from $90.00 to $82.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions from $81.00 to $74.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $75.44.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Price Performance

Shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions stock traded up $1.73 during trading on Thursday, reaching $76.43. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,158,412 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,049,124. Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. has a one year low of $62.14 and a one year high of $80.09. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $67.86 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $71.85. The company has a current ratio of 2.35, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $38.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.05.

Cognizant Technology Solutions (NASDAQ:CTSH) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The information technology service provider reported $1.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.11 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.72 billion. Cognizant Technology Solutions had a return on equity of 17.48% and a net margin of 10.84%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.11 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. will post 4.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 29th. Investors of record on Monday, May 20th were issued a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 17th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.57%. Cognizant Technology Solutions’s dividend payout ratio is currently 28.85%.

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.