Motley Fool Asset Management LLC Acquires 1,152 Shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. (NASDAQ:CTSH)

Motley Fool Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. (NASDAQ:CTSH) by 5.3% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 22,892 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock after buying an additional 1,152 shares during the quarter. Motley Fool Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Cognizant Technology Solutions were worth $1,742,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Addison Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions by 127.7% in the 3rd quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 337 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 189 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. grew its position in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions by 47.4% in the 3rd quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 454 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 146 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Benjamin Edwards Inc. boosted its position in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions by 42.1% during the second quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 533 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 158 shares in the last quarter. 92.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Stock Up 0.8 %

Cognizant Technology Solutions stock opened at $80.58 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $39.95 billion, a PE ratio of 17.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a current ratio of 2.23. Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. has a one year low of $63.79 and a one year high of $82.41. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $77.72 and a 200 day moving average of $73.98.

Cognizant Technology Solutions (NASDAQ:CTSH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 30th. The information technology service provider reported $1.25 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.15 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $5.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.99 billion. Cognizant Technology Solutions had a return on equity of 17.08% and a net margin of 11.60%. Cognizant Technology Solutions’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.16 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. will post 4.66 EPS for the current year.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 19th were given a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.49%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 19th. Cognizant Technology Solutions’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.55%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Cognizant Technology Solutions from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Cognizant Technology Solutions from $82.00 to $89.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, September 6th. Bank of America upgraded Cognizant Technology Solutions from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $73.00 to $75.00 in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $76.00 price objective on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on Cognizant Technology Solutions from $70.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $79.47.

Cognizant Technology Solutions 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.