Lifeworks Advisors LLC Boosts Stock Holdings in Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. (NASDAQ:CTSH)

Lifeworks Advisors LLC boosted its position in Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. (NASDAQ:CTSH) by 18.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,249 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock after buying an additional 676 shares during the quarter. Lifeworks Advisors LLC’s holdings in Cognizant Technology Solutions were worth $327,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Addison Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in 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 period. Duncker Streett & Co. Inc. bought a new position in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions in the third quarter valued at $30,000. Trust Co. of Vermont raised its stake in shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions by 188.4% during the 4th quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 447 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 292 shares during the period. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Cognizant Technology Solutions during the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. 92.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on CTSH shares. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on Cognizant Technology Solutions from $82.00 to $93.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions from $88.00 to $94.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Sixteen investment 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 price target of $83.67.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Trading Down 0.4 %

CTSH stock opened at $83.23 on Friday. Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. has a one year low of $63.79 and a one year high of $90.82. The company has a market capitalization of $41.17 billion, a PE ratio of 18.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.12. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $81.98 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $79.27. 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 (NASDAQ:CTSH) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The information technology service provider reported $1.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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%. As a group, 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 business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th were paid a $0.31 dividend. 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 1.49%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 18th. Cognizant Technology Solutions’s payout ratio is 27.49%.

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.