Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. (NASDAQ:CTSH) Stock Position Increased by Banco Santander S.A.

Banco Santander S.A. boosted its position in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. (NASDAQ:CTSH) by 106.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,480 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock after buying an additional 2,821 shares during the quarter. Banco Santander S.A.’s holdings in Cognizant Technology Solutions were worth $421,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Graypoint LLC boosted its position in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions by 2.9% during the 4th quarter. Graypoint LLC now owns 4,795 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock valued at $369,000 after purchasing an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. Sandy Cove Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Cognizant Technology Solutions by 3.2% during the fourth quarter. Sandy Cove Advisors LLC now owns 4,336 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock worth $333,000 after buying an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its position in Cognizant Technology Solutions by 3.9% in the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 4,441 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock worth $342,000 after buying an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. now owns 5,338 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock valued at $410,000 after acquiring an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ritholtz Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 8,704 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock worth $669,000 after acquiring an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. 92.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Stock Performance

Shares of CTSH stock opened at $84.00 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $41.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.63, a PEG ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 2.09 and a quick ratio of 2.09. Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. has a fifty-two week low of $63.79 and a fifty-two week high of $90.82. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $82.12 and its two-hundred day moving average is $79.34.

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 for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.12 by $0.09. Cognizant Technology Solutions had a net margin of 11.35% and a return on equity of 16.78%. Analysts predict that Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. will post 4.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 18th were issued a $0.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 18th. This is a boost from Cognizant Technology Solutions’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.48%. Cognizant Technology Solutions’s dividend payout ratio is currently 27.49%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CTSH has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on Cognizant Technology Solutions from $82.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions from $88.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions from $83.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $83.67.

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.