Cognizant (CTSH)
NASDAQInformation TechnologyInformation Technology ServicesSnapshot 2026-09-04
$62.31-3.60%
Close 2026-09-04 · 1-day change
NASDAQInformation TechnologyInformation Technology ServicesSnapshot 2026-09-04
Research Workspace
Put CTSH beside peers and holdings, graph the same metric, and keep your notes with the evidence.
Daily closes. Earnings/event dots are placed inline.
Industries move in repeating boom-and-bust cycles. This shows where this stock’s industry sits in that cycle, stage by stage (recovery → expansion → supercycle → steady → deceleration → contraction), from its fundamentals (orders, revenue, capital spending), not the stock’s price.
A booming industry is a tailwind for the names in it; a contracting one is a headwind. Companies in the same industry tend to rise and fall together with the cycle, the way a tide lifts and lowers every boat in the harbor at once, so a large part of a stock’s swing can come from where its industry sits rather than from the company itself. It’s context for reading the company’s results, not a buy/sell call. Full explanation →
IT Consulting & Other Services is in recovery. Describes the industry's cycle state, not a call on this stock.
The stage band shows the industry’s cycle over the chart’s timeline (each color a stage); a ▼ marks a quarter its growth inflected down — amber is an unconfirmed watch, red is confirmed the next quarter. Use “Overlay cycle on chart” to tint the price chart by stage. The industry’s fundamentals, not a signal on this stock.
The reason to own it still holds.
View ThesisRevenue is growing steadily — about 6% over the past year.
View GrowthRanks among the strongest in its industry on quality — around the top 20%.
View QualityManagement screens strong on capital allocation, earnings delivery, margins.
View ManagementExpectations look reasonable — what the market is pricing in sits in line with or below what analysts forecast.
View ValuationThis stock is volatile — it swings about 2% on a typical day and fell roughly 55% in its worst 12-month stretch.
View RiskCognizant's growth in AI partnerships and steady management must continue to justify its price. Revenue grew 4.5% year over year, and the last quarter's earnings were inline. It trades at 11× P/E versus a peer median of 14×, indicating modest expectations compared to our view. The next-quarter miss probability is 21%, which raises concerns about future growth. Peer multiples imply a price roughly in line with where it trades. Our read is provisional.
Trailing returns as of 2026-09-04. CTSH is total return (includes dividends); the S&P 500 benchmark is price return (the index excludes dividends).
Based on 29 analysts currently covering CTSH (as of Sep 2026).
Based on 11 Wall Street analysts offering 12-month price targets for CTSH in the last 4 months.
Continue this research
Compare CTSH with peers and holdings, graph the same reported metric, keep your questions beside the evidence, and return when the facts change.
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| Compare | Company | Living FV | P/E | Revenue % | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CTSH Selected company | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Peer Add a competitor | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Holding Compare a holding | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review |
Selected metric trend
Quarterly · checked companies · value or % of revenue
A consensus fair price across 13 valuation methods, at three horizons. As of 2026-09-04. Estimates are diagnostics, not price targets. Short-horizon estimates are close to coin-flips, so confidence is a method-agreement read, not a prediction.
Today's peer multiple on trailing earnings, with no growth credited. This is the headline read.
Adds projected growth, so it leans optimistic by design. Read it as upside context, not a base case.
A price-focused, side-by-side fair-value read versus IT Consulting & Other Services — fair value, gap to price, and forward P/E.
Compare the value case
Put CTSH next to peers and holdings, compare Living FV and multiples, then graph the driver behind the difference.
Data breach could impact customer trust and revenue growth.
Not investment advice. Scores describe historical and current data; they are not forecasts of future returns. Consult a licensed advisor before making investment decisions.
End-of-day figures as of 2026-09-04. EPS is implied from price ÷ P/E. Not investment advice.
Current $62.31
The last 12 months of price, then the range of analyst 12-month targets from today’s $62.31.
Analyst ratings and price targets are third-party Wall Street estimates, not QuarterlyIQ’s view. Not investment advice.
A long-thesis check that carries the widest uncertainty of the three horizons.
Top 10% on quality vs scored peers
Direction of the business behind the multiple. Bands are backend reads; trailing-12-month basis.
Threatens: Increase revenue growth
Earnings miss raises concerns about revenue growth sustainability.
Threatens: Increase revenue growth
Net profit dip and guidance cut threaten revenue growth.
Threatens: Increase revenue growth
Cognizant's revenue outlook cut raises concerns about growth.
Threatens: Increase revenue growth
Mixed Q2 results and revenue outlook cut challenge growth expectations.
Advances: Increase revenue growth
Earnings beat expectations, supporting revenue growth.
Advances: Advance AI builder strategy and scale Frontier workforce
AI partnership advances AI builder strategy.
Advances: Advance AI builder strategy and scale Frontier workforce
Hiring for AI roles supports scaling Frontier workforce.
