Advisory Resource Group Has $4.87 Million Stock Holdings in Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. (NASDAQ:CTSH)

Advisory Resource Group increased its position in Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. (NASDAQ:CTSH) by 4.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 63,309 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock after buying an additional 2,698 shares during the period. Cognizant Technology Solutions accounts for approximately 1.0% of Advisory Resource Group’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest holding. Advisory Resource Group’s holdings in Cognizant Technology Solutions were worth $4,868,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Addison Advisors LLC lifted its position 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 valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 189 shares in the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in Cognizant Technology Solutions in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Trust Co. of Vermont lifted its position in Cognizant Technology Solutions by 188.4% in the 4th quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 447 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 292 shares in the last quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. lifted its position in Cognizant Technology Solutions by 47.4% in the 3rd quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 454 shares of the information technology service provider’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 146 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Eastern Bank bought a new position in Cognizant Technology Solutions in the 3rd quarter valued at about $37,000. 92.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Cognizant Technology Solutions

In related news, CAO John Sunshin Kim sold 5,000 shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.11, for a total value of $400,550.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 39,022 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,126,052.42. The trade was a 11.36 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.26% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently weighed in on CTSH. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions from $70.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions in a research report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions from $83.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Mizuho lifted their target price on shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions from $83.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $83.22.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Trading Down 1.0 %

NASDAQ:CTSH opened at $86.20 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.09, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $42.74 billion, a PE ratio of 19.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 1.07. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $79.55 and its 200 day moving average is $77.59. Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. has a 12 month low of $63.79 and a 12 month high of $87.61.

Cognizant Technology Solutions (NASDAQ:CTSH) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The information technology service provider reported $1.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.12 by $0.09. Cognizant Technology Solutions had a net margin of 11.35% and a return on equity of 16.78%. Sell-side analysts expect that Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. will post 4.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be paid a $0.31 dividend. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.44%. This is a positive change from Cognizant Technology Solutions’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 18th. Cognizant Technology Solutions’s payout ratio is currently 26.61%.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Company Profile

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.