Cognizant (CTSH)
NASDAQInformation TechnologyInformation Technology ServicesSnapshot 2026-09-14
$64.10+6.83%
Close 2026-09-14 · 1-day change
NASDAQInformation TechnologyInformation Technology ServicesSnapshot 2026-09-14
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 depends on its ability to advance its AI builder strategy and scale its Frontier workforce. Revenue grew 4.5% year over year, and the last quarter was inline with expectations. It trades at 11× P/E versus a 13× peer median, indicating modest expectations compared to our view. The risk lies in the potential for a guidance cut, with a 20% probability of a miss in the next quarter. Peer multiples imply a price roughly in line with where it trades.
Trailing returns as of 2026-09-14. 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 2026-09-14. 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.
Threatens: Advance AI builder strategy and scale Frontier workforce
AI pressures may hinder growth in IT spending.
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 2026-09-14. EPS is implied from price ÷ P/E. Not investment advice.
Current $64.10
The last 12 months of price, then the range of analyst 12-month targets from today’s $64.10.
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: Advance AI builder strategy and scale Frontier workforce
AI job creation contradicts restructuring efforts.
Suspension may hinder talent acquisition and operational growth.
Advances: Advance AI builder strategy and scale Frontier workforce
AI push aligns with growth and Frontier workforce scaling.
Data breach could impact customer trust and revenue growth.
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.
