Is Now The Time To Put Cognizant Technology Solutions (NASDAQ:CTSH) On Your Watchlist?

For beginners, it can seem like a good idea (and an exciting prospect) to buy a company that tells a good story to investors, even if it currently lacks a track record of revenue and profit. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' A loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the inflow of external capital may dry up.

So if this idea of high risk and high reward doesn't suit, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like Cognizant Technology Solutions (NASDAQ:CTSH). Now this is not to say that the company presents the best investment opportunity around, but profitability is a key component to success in business.

View our latest analysis for Cognizant Technology Solutions

How Fast Is Cognizant Technology Solutions Growing?

The market is a voting machine in the short term, but a weighing machine in the long term, so you'd expect share price to follow earnings per share (EPS) outcomes eventually. That makes EPS growth an attractive quality for any company. Cognizant Technology Solutions managed to grow EPS by 6.4% per year, over three years. This may not be setting the world alight, but it does show that EPS is on the upwards trend.

One way to double-check a company's growth is to look at how its revenue, and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins are changing. While we note Cognizant Technology Solutions achieved similar EBIT margins to last year, revenue grew by a solid 11% to US$19b. That's a real positive.

In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.

Of course the knack is to find stocks that have their best days in the future, not in the past. You could base your opinion on past performance, of course, but you may also want to check this interactive graph of professional analyst EPS forecasts for Cognizant Technology Solutions.

Are Cognizant Technology Solutions Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Owing to the size of Cognizant Technology Solutions, we wouldn't expect insiders to hold a significant proportion of the company. But thanks to their investment in the company, it's pleasing to see that there are still incentives to align their actions with the shareholders. Given insiders own a significant chunk of shares, currently valued at US$55m, they have plenty of motivation to push the business to succeed. This would indicate that the goals of shareholders and management are one and the same.

Is Cognizant Technology Solutions Worth Keeping An Eye On?

One important encouraging feature of Cognizant Technology Solutions is that it is growing profits. If that's not enough on its own, there is also the rather notable levels of insider ownership. The combination definitely favoured by investors so consider keeping the company on a watchlist. You still need to take note of risks, for example - Cognizant Technology Solutions has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

Although Cognizant Technology Solutions certainly looks good, it may appeal to more investors if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see insider buying, then this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying, could be exactly what you're looking for.

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.

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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.