Cognizant(CTSH) - 2025 Q4 - Earnings Call Transcript

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]