Core Insights - Cognizant Technology Solutions has seen significant changes in institutional holdings, with several hedge funds increasing their stakes substantially in recent quarters [1][5] - Analysts have mixed ratings on Cognizant, with target prices ranging from $82.00 to $100.00, indicating a generally positive outlook [2] - Recent insider transactions show a decrease in positions by some directors, which may indicate a cautious sentiment among insiders [3] Institutional Holdings - NewSquare Capital LLC raised its holdings by 71.8%, now owning 366 shares valued at $29,000 after acquiring 153 additional shares [1] - High Note Wealth LLC increased its stake by 22,450.0%, owning 451 shares worth $30,000 after purchasing 449 shares [1] - E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. raised its stake by 267.7%, now holding 603 shares valued at $40,000 after acquiring 439 shares [1] - 92.44% of Cognizant's stock is owned by hedge funds and institutional investors [1] Analyst Ratings - Citigroup maintained a "neutral" rating with a price target increase from $75.00 to $86.00 [2] - Morgan Stanley raised its target price from $80.00 to $82.00, maintaining an "equal weight" rating [2] - Deutsche Bank upgraded Cognizant from "hold" to "buy," setting a target price of $100.00 [2] - The average target price among analysts is $90.78, with nine analysts rating it as a Buy and twelve as Hold [2] Insider Transactions - Director Michael Patsalos-Fox sold 2,000 shares at an average price of $84.23, totaling $168,460, resulting in a 6.30% decrease in his position [3] - Insider Surya Gummadi sold 1,728 shares at an average price of $83.06, totaling $143,527.68, also reflecting a 6.31% decrease in his position [3] - Over the last quarter, insiders sold 29,434 shares valued at $2,460,809, with insiders owning 0.32% of the stock [3] Financial Performance - Cognizant reported earnings of $1.35 per share, exceeding analysts' expectations of $1.32, with revenue of $5.33 billion, slightly above the expected $5.31 billion [6] - The company experienced a 4.9% year-over-year revenue growth compared to the same quarter last year [6] - Cognizant has set its FY 2026 guidance at an EPS range of 5.560-5.700, with analysts expecting an EPS of 4.98 for the current year [6] Dividend Information - Cognizant announced a quarterly dividend of $0.33, an increase from the previous $0.31, representing an annualized dividend of $1.32 and a yield of 1.7% [7] - The dividend payout ratio stands at 27.25% [7] Company Overview - Cognizant Technology Solutions is a global professional services company providing IT, consulting, and business process services [8] - The company specializes in digital engineering, application development, cloud migration, data analytics, and cybersecurity [8] - Cognizant operates across the Americas, Europe, and Asia, with a focus on technology-enabled transformations for large enterprises [9]

Core Insights - Major IT services companies are rapidly adopting AI agents from specialized firms to enhance their capabilities and remain competitive in the evolving market [1][2] Company Partnerships and Developments - Four leading Indian IT outsourcers—Cognizant, Infosys, HCL Technologies, and Wipro—are forming partnerships with smaller AI firms to integrate AI agents for software development, data analysis, and marketing [2] - Wipro announced a partnership with Factory to utilize AI agents for software development tasks, indicating a shift towards production-scale AI adoption [4] - Infosys partnered with Cursor to deploy AI software engineers for creating AI-centric products, establishing a center of excellence for development [6] - Cognizant is collaborating with Typeface to implement AI agents for marketing campaigns, showcasing the trend of integrating AI into various business functions [11][12] Economic Implications - The integration of AI agents is expected to improve economic outcomes for clients, with Infosys noting that the economics of projects have significantly changed, allowing previously stalled projects to proceed [7] - HCLTech reported $246 million in advanced AI revenue for the July-December 2025 period, with an overall revenue of $13.85 billion, reflecting a 3.85% year-on-year growth [9] Hiring Trends and Workforce Impact - Companies are divided on the impact of AI agent deployment on hiring fresh graduates, with Infosys planning to hire 20,000 freshers in FY27, while Wipro reduced its target from 10,000 to 8,000 [14] - HCLTech has not specified fresh hiring plans but expects to end the year with more freshers than the previous year, having already hired 10,000 in the first nine months of FY26 [16] - Analysts suggest that the deployment of AI agents may lead to reduced demand for mid-level, task-oriented roles, particularly in areas like testing and basic development [17][18] Strategic Insights - AI coding tool providers are diversifying their client base, with IT services companies being a key channel for enterprise clients, allowing for quicker access to talent and testing of AI use cases [19]

Core Insights - Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTSH) reported non-GAAP earnings of $1.35 per share for Q4 2025, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.96% and reflecting an 11.6% year-over-year increase [2][10] - Revenues reached $5.33 billion, surpassing consensus by 0.50%, with a year-over-year growth of 4.9% and 3.8% at constant currency [3][10] - The company raised its guidance for Q1 2026 and full-year 2026 revenues, indicating positive growth expectations [14][15] Financial Performance - Bookings increased by 5% year-over-year to $28.4 billion, with a book-to-bill ratio of approximately 1.3 times; Q4 bookings rose 9% year-over-year, including 12 large deals valued over $100 million [4][10] - Financial services revenues, accounting for 29.7% of total revenues, grew 10.5% year-over-year to $1.586 billion, driven by investments in cloud and AI [6] - Health Sciences revenues, making up 30.4% of total revenues, increased 5.2% year-over-year to $1.621 billion, supported by strong demand across various sectors [6] Regional Performance - North America contributed 74.7% of total revenues, with a year-over-year increase of 4.3% [7] - Revenues from Europe rose 8.4% year-over-year, contributing 19.1% to total revenues, while the Rest of the World saw a 2.5% increase [8] Operational Metrics - Selling, general & administrative expenses as a percentage of revenues decreased by 150 basis points year-over-year to 15.1% [11] - The company reported a GAAP operating margin of 16%, expanding 120 basis points year-over-year [12] Balance Sheet - As of December 31, 2025, cash and short-term investments totaled $1.91 billion, down from $2.35 billion at the end of the previous quarter [13] - Total debt decreased to $576 million from $584 million in the prior quarter [13] Future Guidance - For Q1 2026, revenues are expected to be between $5.36 billion and $5.44 billion, indicating growth of 4.8%-6.3% [14] - For the full year 2026, revenues are projected to be in the range of $22.14 billion to $22.66 billion, reflecting a growth of 4.9%-7.4% [14]

Core Insights - Cognizant has announced a strategic partnership with Palantir Technologies to accelerate AI-driven modernization in healthcare and enterprise operations [1][2] - The collaboration aims to leverage Palantir Foundry and AIP to enhance AI integration within Cognizant's TriZetto healthcare business and pursue broader enterprise AI transformation opportunities [1][3] Group 1: Partnership Objectives - The partnership is designed to create enterprise-grade AI solutions that deliver real business value, focusing on responsible adoption, security, and operational integrity [2][3] - Cognizant will explore how AIP can optimize TriZetto's healthcare platforms and Business Process as a Service (BPaaS) operations, particularly in regulated and labor-intensive environments [3][4] Group 2: Strategic Importance - This collaboration reflects Cognizant's commitment to using frontier technologies for client value and internal business transformation, enhancing its ability to modernize mission-critical platforms [3][5] - Palantir's experience in deploying AI platforms in critical environments complements Cognizant's global delivery scale, supporting the expansion of AI-powered solutions while ensuring governance and security [4][5] Group 3: Future Initiatives - Cognizant and Palantir plan to collaborate on enterprise AI transformation initiatives beyond healthcare, indicating a broader application of their partnership across various industries [5][6] - The partnership aligns with Cognizant's recent AI investments, reinforcing its strategy to build a composable ecosystem of leading AI platforms for internal and client innovation [6]

Market Overview - Stock futures are mixed, showing signs of stabilization after a downturn in software and AI-related technology stocks, leading some investors to view the selloff as a buying opportunity [1] - Defensive sectors and commodity-linked assets are gaining interest, particularly as gold prices have risen above $5,000 per ounce, indicating strong demand for safe havens amid market uncertainty [1] Pre-Market Trading - In pre-market trading, S&P 500 futures rose by 0.11%, Nasdaq futures fell by 0.34%, and Dow futures increased by 0.22% [2] Company Movements - Silicon Labs (SLAB) shares surged by 49% following a definitive agreement for acquisition by Texas Instruments (TXN) at $231 per share in an all-cash transaction [3] - Texas Instruments (TXN) shares declined by 3% after announcing the acquisition of Silicon Labs [6] - Other notable stock movements include Eli Lilly (LLY) up 9%, Johnson Controls (JCI) up 5%, and AMD (AMD) down 10% [6]

Core Insights - Cognizant reported strong large-deal momentum, with fourth-quarter bookings increasing by 9% year-over-year and achieving a record total contract value (TCV) [1][7]. - The company signed 12 large deals valued at $100 million or more in Q4, including one exceeding $1 billion, with the value of large-deal wins up 60% compared to the previous year [1][8]. Financial Performance - Fourth-quarter adjusted diluted EPS was $1.35, reflecting a 12% increase year-over-year, while full-year adjusted EPS reached $5.28, up 11% [2]. - Fourth-quarter revenue was reported at $5.3 billion, with full-year revenue totaling $21.1 billion, representing a 6.4% growth in constant currency [4][7]. - The adjusted operating margin for Q4 was 16%, an increase of 30 basis points year-over-year, and for the full year, it was 15.8%, up 50 basis points [3][7]. Cash Flow and Shareholder Returns - Fourth-quarter free cash flow was approximately $800 million, leading to a full-year total of $2.7 billion, which was more than 100% of net income [2][7]. - Cognizant returned about $2 billion to shareholders in 2025 through dividends and share repurchases, with plans to return approximately $1.6 billion in 2026, including about $1 billion in share repurchases [18][19]. AI Strategy and Future Outlook - The company is positioning itself as an "AI builder," with over 4,000 AI engagements and more than 30% of developer efforts being AI-assisted [6][10]. - For 2026, Cognizant is guiding for revenue growth of 4% to 6.5% in constant currency, an adjusted operating margin of 15.9% to 16.1%, and adjusted diluted EPS of $5.56 to $5.70 [6][18]. Segment Performance - Financial services were a major growth driver, with a 9% year-over-year growth in Q4 and 7% for the full year, marking the highest annual level since 2016 [12]. - Health sciences showed resilience amid cost pressures, growing over 6%, with GenAI projects expanding in various areas [13]. - North America was the standout region, growing more than 4% in constant currency during Q4, while Europe and the Rest of the World also showed growth [15].

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for Q4 2025 was $5.3 billion, representing a 3.8% year-over-year growth in constant currency, all organic [30][41] - Full-year revenue reached $21.1 billion, growing 6.4% in constant currency, surpassing the $20 billion mark [6][30] - Adjusted Operating Margin improved to 16%, up 30 basis points year-over-year, with a full-year adjusted operating margin of 15.8%, exceeding guidance [6][39] - Adjusted diluted EPS for Q4 was $1.35, up 12% year-over-year, leading to a full-year EPS of $5.28, an 11% increase from the prior year [41][45] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Financial Services segment led growth with a 9% year-over-year increase in constant currency for Q4 and 7% for the full year, marking the highest annual level since 2016 [5][32] - Health Sciences segment grew at 6%, outperforming the company average, driven by strong demand for administrative and patient care solutions [86] - BPO business experienced a 9% year-over-year growth, indicating strong demand for AI-enabled operations [80][82] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - North America was the standout region with over 4% year-over-year growth in constant currency, primarily driven by Financial Services and healthcare [37] - Europe grew 2% in constant currency, with healthy growth in Financial Services and Life Sciences [38] - The Rest of World segment grew in line with the total company, driven by the Middle East [38] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to bridge the AI velocity gap, focusing on transforming AI technology into measurable returns for clients [11] - Cognizant's strategy includes a three-vector approach to capture demand, emphasizing AI-led productivity and the development of new agentic software [12][13] - The company plans to maintain its position in the industry's winner's circle by continuing to innovate and expand its AI capabilities [29] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in sustaining growth in 2026, supported by a strong pipeline of large deals and a focus on AI integration [31][67] - The operating environment remains complex, but the company views it as an opportunity to capture wallet share in large deals and help clients reinvest savings into innovation [32] - Management highlighted the importance of maintaining productivity and cost discipline to navigate market challenges [59] Other Important Information - The company returned $2 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases in 2025 [10][41] - The acquisition of 3Cloud was completed, adding over 1,200 Azure specialists to enhance capabilities in AI and cloud services [10] - The company is actively evaluating potential strategic acquisitions and a possible secondary listing in India [46] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on AI's impact on revenue and package implementation - Management noted that AI provides opportunities for increased total addressable spend and emphasized the need for reimagining processes to integrate new technologies effectively [50][54] Question: Gross margin dynamics for 2026 - Management indicated that Q4's gross margin decline was primarily due to higher variable compensation, but they expect to maintain productivity and manage costs effectively in 2026 [56][59] Question: Confidence in large deal growth for 2026 - Management expressed optimism about the strong pipeline of large deals and the potential for timely deal ramps, expecting acceleration in growth during the year [68][69] Question: Risks and opportunities of fixed-price contracts - Management explained that fixed-price contracts place delivery risk on the service provider, but they have a robust process to monitor performance and ensure delivery aligns with expectations [75][76] Question: Durability of BPO growth - Management highlighted that the BPO business has shown consistent growth and sees a long-term tailwind due to the need for ongoing transformation and maintenance of AI-enabled processes [82][80]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for Q4 2025 was $5.3 billion, representing a 3.8% year-over-year growth in constant currency, all organic [25][30] - Full-year revenue reached $21.1 billion, growing 6.4% in constant currency, surpassing the $20 billion mark [6][25] - Adjusted Operating Margin improved to 16%, up 30 basis points year-over-year, with a full-year adjusted operating margin of 15.8%, exceeding guidance by 50 basis points [6][30] - Adjusted diluted EPS for Q4 was $1.35, up 12% year-over-year, leading to a full-year EPS of $5.28, an 11% increase from the prior year [31][34] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Financial Services segment led growth with a 9% year-over-year increase in constant currency for Q4 and 7% for the full year, marking the highest annual level since 2016 [5][25] - Health Sciences segment grew at over 6%, significantly above the company average, driven by strong performance in administrative and clinical processes [78] - Digital Engineering practices saw an 8% year-over-year growth in Q4, supported by proprietary platforms [19] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - North America was the standout region with over 4% year-over-year growth in constant currency, primarily driven by financial services and healthcare [28] - Europe experienced a 2% growth in constant currency, with healthy performance in financial services and life sciences [28] - The Rest of World segment grew in line with the total company, driven by the Middle East [28] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to bridge the AI velocity gap, focusing on transforming AI technology into measurable returns for clients [11][12] - Cognizant's strategy includes a three-vector approach to capture demand, emphasizing AI-led productivity and the development of new agentic software [12][13] - The company plans to maintain its position in the industry's winner's circle by 2027, having achieved this goal two years early [8][22] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in sustaining growth in 2026, supported by a strong pipeline of large deals and a focus on AI integration [24][58] - The operating environment remains complex, but management views it as an opportunity to capture wallet share in large deals and help clients reinvest savings into innovation [25][26] - The company anticipates a modest increase in defined benefit costs due to recent labor law changes in India, but this is not expected to materially impact the P&L [30] Other Important Information - The company returned $2 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases in 2025 [10][32] - Cognizant completed the acquisition of 3Cloud, adding over 1,200 Azure specialists to enhance its capabilities in AI and application innovation [10][32] - The company has a healthy M&A pipeline and intends to maintain an active acquisition strategy aligned with its AI builder strategy [32][34] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on AI's impact on revenue and package implementation - Management sees AI as a net positive, increasing total addressable spend and creating opportunities for innovation and productivity [40][41] Question: Gross margin dynamics for 2026 - The decline in Q4 gross margin was primarily due to higher variable compensation, but management remains confident in maintaining margins through productivity measures [47][50] Question: Confidence in large deal growth for 2026 - Management expressed strong confidence in the pipeline for larger deals, expecting timely ramps and acceleration in growth throughout the year [55][58] Question: Risks and opportunities of fixed-price contracts - Management indicated that while delivery risk resides with the service provider, they have a robust process to monitor performance and maintain margins [66][67] Question: Durability of BPO growth - Management believes the BPO segment will continue to grow due to the need for ongoing transformation and maintenance of processes enabled by AI [71][74] Question: Health Sciences segment growth amidst regulatory pressures - Management is confident in the Health Sciences segment's growth, leveraging their platform to transform administrative processes and improve patient care [78][80]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for Q4 2025 was $5.3 billion, growing 3.8% year-over-year in constant currency, all organic [24] - Full-year revenue reached $21.1 billion, a 6.4% increase in constant currency, surpassing the $20 billion mark [5][24] - Adjusted Operating Margin for Q4 was 16%, improving by 30 basis points year-over-year, while full-year adjusted operating margin was 15.8%, exceeding guidance by 50 basis points [5][28] - Adjusted diluted EPS for Q4 was $1.35, up 12% year-over-year, leading to a full-year EPS of $5.28, an 11% increase from the prior year [29] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Financial Services segment led growth with constant currency revenue increasing 9% year-over-year in Q4 and 7% for the full year, marking the highest annual level since 2016 [4][24] - Health Sciences showed resilient performance despite industry cost pressures, with growth driven by cost savings and productivity improvements [25] - Digital Engineering practices experienced an 8% year-over-year growth in Q4 and full year, fueled by proprietary platforms [17] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - North America was the standout region with over 4% year-over-year growth in constant currency, primarily driven by financial services and healthcare [26] - Europe grew 2% in constant currency, with healthy growth in financial services and life sciences [26] - The Rest of World segment grew in line with the total company, driven by the Middle East [26] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to bridge the AI velocity gap, focusing on converting AI technology into measurable returns for clients [9] - A three-vector strategy is being implemented to capture demand, including applying AI-led productivity to traditional software cycles and building new cycles of agentic capital [10][11] - The company is committed to maintaining its position in the industry's winner's circle and aims to lead as an AI builder [20] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in sustaining growth in 2026, supported by a strong pipeline of large deals and a focus on AI-driven productivity [23][50] - The operating environment remains complex, but the company views it as an opportunity to capture wallet share in large deals [24] - Management highlighted the importance of reinvention and reimagination of processes to leverage new technologies effectively [39] Other Important Information - The company returned $2 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases [8] - The acquisition of 3Cloud was completed, adding over 1,200 Azure specialists to enhance capabilities in Azure data and AI [8] - The company is targeting 2,000 campus hires in the U.S. and approximately 20,000 in India for 2026 [17] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on AI's impact and revenue from package implementation - Management noted that new technology creates more opportunities rather than replacing old ones, emphasizing the need for process reinvention to realize value [38][39] Question: Gross margin dynamics for 2026 - Management indicated that Q4's gross margin decline was primarily due to higher variable compensation, but they expect to maintain productivity and manage costs effectively [43][45] Question: Confidence in large deal growth for 2026 - Management expressed excitement about the strong bookings and pipeline for larger deals, indicating a solid ramp-up expected in 2026 [50][54] Question: Risks and opportunities of fixed-price contracts - Management explained that delivery risk primarily resides with the service provider, and they have a robust process to monitor deal performance, ensuring they meet budgeted goals [60][63] Question: Durability of BPO growth - Management sees BPO as a significant growth area, driven by the need for transformation and maintenance of processes enabled by AI [68][69] Question: Growth margins and regulatory pressures in Health Sciences - Management expressed confidence in the Health Sciences segment's growth, highlighting the company's strong position and the potential for transformation amid regulatory uncertainties [72][75]

分组1 - Cognizant reported quarterly earnings of $1.35 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.32 per share, and up from $1.21 per share a year ago [1] - The company achieved a revenue of $5.33 billion for the quarter, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.50% and increasing from $5.08 billion year-over-year [3] - Cognizant has consistently surpassed consensus EPS and revenue estimates over the last four quarters [2][3] 分组2 - The stock has underperformed, losing about 10.2% since the beginning of the year, while the S&P 500 has gained 1.1% [4] - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $1.33 on revenues of $5.34 billion, and for the current fiscal year, it is $5.60 on revenues of $22.04 billion [8] - The Computers - IT Services industry, to which Cognizant belongs, is currently in the top 40% of Zacks industries, indicating a favorable outlook compared to the bottom 50% [9]