Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (NASDAQ:CTSH) saw a decent share price growth of 16% on the NASDAQGS over the last few months. The company is now trading at yearly-high levels following the recent surge in its share price. As a large-cap stock with high coverage by analysts, you could assume any recent changes in the company's outlook is already priced into the stock. However, what if the stock is still a bargain? Let's examine Cognizant Technology Solutions's valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there's still a bargain opportunity.

Is Cognizant Technology Solutions Still Cheap?

Great news for investors – Cognizant Technology Solutions is still trading at a fairly cheap price according to our price multiple model, where we compare the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average. In this instance, we've used the price-to-earnings (PE) ratio given that there is not enough information to reliably forecast the stock's cash flows. we find that Cognizant Technology Solutions's ratio of 17.55x is below its peer average of 46.59x, which indicates the stock is trading at a lower price compared to the IT industry. However, given that Cognizant Technology Solutions's share is fairly volatile (i.e. its price movements are magnified relative to the rest of the market) this could mean the price can sink lower, giving us another chance to buy in the future. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.

What kind of growth will Cognizant Technology Solutions generate?

Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Although value investors would argue that it's the intrinsic value relative to the price that matter the most, a more compelling investment thesis would be high growth potential at a cheap price. Cognizant Technology Solutions' earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 33%, indicating a highly optimistic future ahead. This should lead to more robust cash flows, feeding into a higher share value.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? Since CTSH is currently below the industry PE ratio, it may be a great time to increase your holdings in the stock. With an optimistic outlook on the horizon, it seems like this growth has not yet been fully factored into the share price. However, there are also other factors such as capital structure to consider, which could explain the current price multiple.

Are you a potential investor? If you've been keeping an eye on CTSH for a while, now might be the time to enter the stock. Its buoyant future profit outlook isn't fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means it's not too late to buy CTSH. But before you make any investment decisions, consider other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to make a well-informed assessment.

Keep in mind, when it comes to analysing a stock it's worth noting the risks involved. You'd be interested to know, that we found 1 warning sign for Cognizant Technology Solutions and you'll want to know about this.

If you are no longer interested in Cognizant Technology Solutions, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.