Cognizant (CTSH)
NASDAQInformation TechnologyInformation Technology ServicesSnapshot 2026-10-29
$62.52-5.79%
Close 2026-10-29 · 1-day change
NASDAQInformation TechnologyInformation Technology ServicesSnapshot 2026-10-29
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 growth is slowing — up about 5% over the past year and decelerating.
View GrowthRanks among the strongest in its industry on quality — around the top 19%.
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 AI builder strategy depends on revenue growth, which has slowed across recent quarters. Revenue grew 4.6% year over year in Q3 2026, and earnings beat estimates. Cognizant trades at 11× P/E versus a 15× peer median. Expectations look modest versus our growth view. Fragile cash backing and US immigration scrutiny could weaken execution. A next-quarter miss probability of 18% is another risk. Peer multiples imply a price about 4% above where it trades. Our read remains intact; this read is provisional.
Trailing returns as of 2026-10-29. 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 Oct 2026).
Based on 9 Wall Street analysts offering 12-month price targets for CTSH in the last 4 months.
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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 2026-10-29. 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.
Our valuation methods disagree too much on this name right now. Rather than print a number we don't believe, we're holding it back until they converge.
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 the AI Builder strategy
Lower revenue guidance and falling bookings weaken the growth outlook and challenge AI-led expansion.
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 2026-10-29. EPS is implied from price ÷ P/E. Not investment advice.
Current $62.52
The last 12 months of price, then the range of analyst 12-month targets from today’s $62.52.
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
Tech-spending chill pressures growth despite outperformance versus Indian peers.
Threatens: Increase revenue growth
Lower FY26 growth outlook directly weakens the revenue-growth objective.
Threatens: Increase revenue growth
Below-estimate Q4 revenue guidance signals near-term growth pressure.
Advances: Advance AI builder strategy and scale Frontier workforce
Acquisition expands AI and SAP transformation capabilities, supporting the AI builder strategy.
Advances: Advance AI builder strategy and scale Frontier workforce
Expanded Google Cloud partnership supports agentic AI adoption and advances the AI builder strategy.
Advances: Increase revenue growth
Partnership with Axis Bank enhances revenue growth potential.
Threatens: Advance AI builder strategy and scale Frontier workforce
AI pressures IT spending could hinder growth.
