Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for Q4 2025 was $5.3 billion, representing a 3.8% year-over-year growth in constant currency, all organic [30][41] - Full-year revenue reached $21.1 billion, growing 6.4% in constant currency, surpassing the $20 billion mark [6][30] - Adjusted Operating Margin improved to 16%, up 30 basis points year-over-year, with a full-year adjusted operating margin of 15.8%, exceeding guidance [6][39] - Adjusted diluted EPS for Q4 was $1.35, up 12% year-over-year, leading to a full-year EPS of $5.28, an 11% increase from the prior year [41][45] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Financial Services segment led growth with a 9% year-over-year increase in constant currency for Q4 and 7% for the full year, marking the highest annual level since 2016 [5][32] - Health Sciences segment grew at 6%, outperforming the company average, driven by strong demand for administrative and patient care solutions [86] - BPO business experienced a 9% year-over-year growth, indicating strong demand for AI-enabled operations [80][82] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - North America was the standout region with over 4% year-over-year growth in constant currency, primarily driven by Financial Services and healthcare [37] - Europe grew 2% in constant currency, with healthy growth in Financial Services and Life Sciences [38] - The Rest of World segment grew in line with the total company, driven by the Middle East [38] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to bridge the AI velocity gap, focusing on transforming AI technology into measurable returns for clients [11] - Cognizant's strategy includes a three-vector approach to capture demand, emphasizing AI-led productivity and the development of new agentic software [12][13] - The company plans to maintain its position in the industry's winner's circle by continuing to innovate and expand its AI capabilities [29] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in sustaining growth in 2026, supported by a strong pipeline of large deals and a focus on AI integration [31][67] - The operating environment remains complex, but the company views it as an opportunity to capture wallet share in large deals and help clients reinvest savings into innovation [32] - Management highlighted the importance of maintaining productivity and cost discipline to navigate market challenges [59] Other Important Information - The company returned $2 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases in 2025 [10][41] - The acquisition of 3Cloud was completed, adding over 1,200 Azure specialists to enhance capabilities in AI and cloud services [10] - The company is actively evaluating potential strategic acquisitions and a possible secondary listing in India [46] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on AI's impact on revenue and package implementation - Management noted that AI provides opportunities for increased total addressable spend and emphasized the need for reimagining processes to integrate new technologies effectively [50][54] Question: Gross margin dynamics for 2026 - Management indicated that Q4's gross margin decline was primarily due to higher variable compensation, but they expect to maintain productivity and manage costs effectively in 2026 [56][59] Question: Confidence in large deal growth for 2026 - Management expressed optimism about the strong pipeline of large deals and the potential for timely deal ramps, expecting acceleration in growth during the year [68][69] Question: Risks and opportunities of fixed-price contracts - Management explained that fixed-price contracts place delivery risk on the service provider, but they have a robust process to monitor performance and ensure delivery aligns with expectations [75][76] Question: Durability of BPO growth - Management highlighted that the BPO business has shown consistent growth and sees a long-term tailwind due to the need for ongoing transformation and maintenance of AI-enabled processes [82][80]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for Q4 2025 was $5.3 billion, representing a 3.8% year-over-year growth in constant currency, all organic [25][30] - Full-year revenue reached $21.1 billion, growing 6.4% in constant currency, surpassing the $20 billion mark [6][25] - Adjusted Operating Margin improved to 16%, up 30 basis points year-over-year, with a full-year adjusted operating margin of 15.8%, exceeding guidance by 50 basis points [6][30] - Adjusted diluted EPS for Q4 was $1.35, up 12% year-over-year, leading to a full-year EPS of $5.28, an 11% increase from the prior year [31][34] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Financial Services segment led growth with a 9% year-over-year increase in constant currency for Q4 and 7% for the full year, marking the highest annual level since 2016 [5][25] - Health Sciences segment grew at over 6%, significantly above the company average, driven by strong performance in administrative and clinical processes [78] - Digital Engineering practices saw an 8% year-over-year growth in Q4, supported by proprietary platforms [19] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - North America was the standout region with over 4% year-over-year growth in constant currency, primarily driven by financial services and healthcare [28] - Europe experienced a 2% growth in constant currency, with healthy performance in financial services and life sciences [28] - The Rest of World segment grew in line with the total company, driven by the Middle East [28] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to bridge the AI velocity gap, focusing on transforming AI technology into measurable returns for clients [11][12] - Cognizant's strategy includes a three-vector approach to capture demand, emphasizing AI-led productivity and the development of new agentic software [12][13] - The company plans to maintain its position in the industry's winner's circle by 2027, having achieved this goal two years early [8][22] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in sustaining growth in 2026, supported by a strong pipeline of large deals and a focus on AI integration [24][58] - The operating environment remains complex, but management views it as an opportunity to capture wallet share in large deals and help clients reinvest savings into innovation [25][26] - The company anticipates a modest increase in defined benefit costs due to recent labor law changes in India, but this is not expected to materially impact the P&L [30] Other Important Information - The company returned $2 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases in 2025 [10][32] - Cognizant completed the acquisition of 3Cloud, adding over 1,200 Azure specialists to enhance its capabilities in AI and application innovation [10][32] - The company has a healthy M&A pipeline and intends to maintain an active acquisition strategy aligned with its AI builder strategy [32][34] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on AI's impact on revenue and package implementation - Management sees AI as a net positive, increasing total addressable spend and creating opportunities for innovation and productivity [40][41] Question: Gross margin dynamics for 2026 - The decline in Q4 gross margin was primarily due to higher variable compensation, but management remains confident in maintaining margins through productivity measures [47][50] Question: Confidence in large deal growth for 2026 - Management expressed strong confidence in the pipeline for larger deals, expecting timely ramps and acceleration in growth throughout the year [55][58] Question: Risks and opportunities of fixed-price contracts - Management indicated that while delivery risk resides with the service provider, they have a robust process to monitor performance and maintain margins [66][67] Question: Durability of BPO growth - Management believes the BPO segment will continue to grow due to the need for ongoing transformation and maintenance of processes enabled by AI [71][74] Question: Health Sciences segment growth amidst regulatory pressures - Management is confident in the Health Sciences segment's growth, leveraging their platform to transform administrative processes and improve patient care [78][80]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for Q4 2025 was $5.3 billion, growing 3.8% year-over-year in constant currency, all organic [24] - Full-year revenue reached $21.1 billion, a 6.4% increase in constant currency, surpassing the $20 billion mark [5][24] - Adjusted Operating Margin for Q4 was 16%, improving by 30 basis points year-over-year, while full-year adjusted operating margin was 15.8%, exceeding guidance by 50 basis points [5][28] - Adjusted diluted EPS for Q4 was $1.35, up 12% year-over-year, leading to a full-year EPS of $5.28, an 11% increase from the prior year [29] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Financial Services segment led growth with constant currency revenue increasing 9% year-over-year in Q4 and 7% for the full year, marking the highest annual level since 2016 [4][24] - Health Sciences showed resilient performance despite industry cost pressures, with growth driven by cost savings and productivity improvements [25] - Digital Engineering practices experienced an 8% year-over-year growth in Q4 and full year, fueled by proprietary platforms [17] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - North America was the standout region with over 4% year-over-year growth in constant currency, primarily driven by financial services and healthcare [26] - Europe grew 2% in constant currency, with healthy growth in financial services and life sciences [26] - The Rest of World segment grew in line with the total company, driven by the Middle East [26] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to bridge the AI velocity gap, focusing on converting AI technology into measurable returns for clients [9] - A three-vector strategy is being implemented to capture demand, including applying AI-led productivity to traditional software cycles and building new cycles of agentic capital [10][11] - The company is committed to maintaining its position in the industry's winner's circle and aims to lead as an AI builder [20] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in sustaining growth in 2026, supported by a strong pipeline of large deals and a focus on AI-driven productivity [23][50] - The operating environment remains complex, but the company views it as an opportunity to capture wallet share in large deals [24] - Management highlighted the importance of reinvention and reimagination of processes to leverage new technologies effectively [39] Other Important Information - The company returned $2 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases [8] - The acquisition of 3Cloud was completed, adding over 1,200 Azure specialists to enhance capabilities in Azure data and AI [8] - The company is targeting 2,000 campus hires in the U.S. and approximately 20,000 in India for 2026 [17] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on AI's impact and revenue from package implementation - Management noted that new technology creates more opportunities rather than replacing old ones, emphasizing the need for process reinvention to realize value [38][39] Question: Gross margin dynamics for 2026 - Management indicated that Q4's gross margin decline was primarily due to higher variable compensation, but they expect to maintain productivity and manage costs effectively [43][45] Question: Confidence in large deal growth for 2026 - Management expressed excitement about the strong bookings and pipeline for larger deals, indicating a solid ramp-up expected in 2026 [50][54] Question: Risks and opportunities of fixed-price contracts - Management explained that delivery risk primarily resides with the service provider, and they have a robust process to monitor deal performance, ensuring they meet budgeted goals [60][63] Question: Durability of BPO growth - Management sees BPO as a significant growth area, driven by the need for transformation and maintenance of processes enabled by AI [68][69] Question: Growth margins and regulatory pressures in Health Sciences - Management expressed confidence in the Health Sciences segment's growth, highlighting the company's strong position and the potential for transformation amid regulatory uncertainties [72][75]

Core Viewpoint - Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTSH) is expected to report second-quarter 2025 results on July 30, with earnings estimated at $1.26 per share, reflecting a 7.69% increase year-over-year [1][2] Revenue Expectations - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter revenues is $5.19 billion, indicating a year-over-year increase of 7.06% [2] - Cognizant anticipates revenues between $5.14 billion and $5.21 billion, representing growth of 5.9%-7.4% [1][8] Performance Drivers - The company's performance is likely to benefit from an expanding clientele and a robust pipeline, including a significant contract valued at over $500 million secured in Q1 2025 [3] - Investment in artificial intelligence (AI) platforms, such as Neuro IT Ops and Flowsource, is expected to drive growth as clients increasingly adopt AI-driven automation [4] - Growing demand for GenAI solutions in sectors like financial services, healthcare, and manufacturing is anticipated to provide continued growth opportunities [5] Client Expansion and Partnerships - Cognizant's extensive partner network, including companies like Google Cloud, Pegasystems, and NVIDIA, is likely to have contributed to growth in Q2 2025 [7] - Recent collaborations, such as the expanded partnership with Pegasystems and the launch of Cognizant Autonomous Customer Engagement with Google Cloud, are expected to enhance service offerings and drive enterprise growth [8][9] Challenges - Despite the positive outlook, macroeconomic challenges and cost optimization pressures in certain sectors may impact top-line growth [6] - Broader market weakness in the tech sector and concerns over U.S. tariffs are additional pressures facing the company [6] Conclusion - Cognizant's expanding clientele and robust AI-driven solutions are expected to support growth prospects and drive top-line growth in the upcoming quarter [11]

Core Viewpoint - Cognizant Technology Solutions is expected to report first-quarter 2025 results with earnings estimated at $1.19 per share, reflecting a 6.25% increase year-over-year, and revenues projected between $5 billion and $5.1 billion, indicating a growth of 5.6%-7.1% [1][2] Revenue and Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter revenues is $5.07 billion, representing a year-over-year increase of 6.47% [2] - Cognizant has consistently surpassed earnings estimates in the past four quarters, with an average surprise of 5.76% [2] Factors Influencing Performance - The company's performance is likely to benefit from an expanding clientele and a strong pipeline, having secured 10 large deals in Q4 2024, up from seven the previous year, totaling 29 large deals for the year [3] - Investment in artificial intelligence (AI) platforms, such as Neuro IT Ops and Flowsource, is expected to drive growth as clients increasingly adopt AI-driven automation [4] Growth Opportunities - The rising demand for GenAI solutions in sectors like financial services, healthcare, and manufacturing is anticipated to provide growth opportunities, particularly in fraud detection, medical imaging, and predictive maintenance [5] - The NextGen initiative is expected to enhance operational efficiency in the upcoming quarter [5] Clientele Expansion and Partnerships - Cognizant's extensive partner network, including companies like Omron, Docusign, and NVIDIA, is likely to contribute to growth in Q1 [6] - Recent expansion of the partnership with Docusign aims to enhance customer support and digital transformation, which is expected to positively impact performance [7] - Collaboration with OMRON focuses on integrating IT and Operational Technology in manufacturing, while a new AI-powered dispute management solution was launched in partnership with ServiceNow [8] Challenges and Market Conditions - Despite the expanding clientele, macroeconomic challenges and cost optimization pressures are expected to negatively affect top-line growth [10] - The company faces headwinds from unfavorable foreign currency exchange rates, which may reduce revenue growth and impact financial metrics [11] - A slight margin decline is anticipated in Q1 2025 due to seasonality, affecting near-term profitability [11]