Mission Statement, Vision, & Core Values of Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (CTSH)

The Mission Statement, Vision, and Core Values of Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation aren't just corporate boilerplate; they are the strategic scaffolding for a firm guiding for full-year 2025 revenue of up to $21.10 billion. That kind of scale isn't just about complex digital transformation projects; it's defintely anchored in their Core Values-like 'Dare to innovate' and 'Do the right thing'-which drive the approximately 15.7% Adjusted Operating Margin they expect to hit. As a financially-literate decision-maker, how do you map their stated mission to become the pre-eminent partner against their actual capital allocation, especially with $2.0 billion planned for shareholder returns this year, and what does that tell you about their confidence in future growth?

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (CTSH) Overview

You need to know where a company stands right now, not just where it has been, so let's cut straight to the facts on Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation. This is a global professional services powerhouse, founded in 1994 as an in-house technology unit of Dun & Bradstreet in Chennai, India, and now headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey.

Cognizant Technology Solutions acts as a strategic partner for large enterprises, providing the technology and consulting muscle they need to modernize core systems and execute digital transformation (DX). They essentially sell high-value professional services, from building new cloud platforms to running complex business process outsourcing (BPO) operations.

The company organizes its offerings into four main segments, which map to where clients spend their money: Financial Services, Health Sciences, Products and Resources, and Communications, Media, and Technology. For the twelve months ending September 30, 2025, the company's trailing 12-month (TTM) revenue stood at a strong $20.86 billion.

• Founded 1994; IPO 1998.
• Headquarters: Teaneck, New Jersey.
• Core business: Consulting, technology, and outsourcing services.

Q3 2025 Financial Performance: A Profitable Beat

The latest results, reported on October 29, 2025, show a firm grip on profitability even as the market remains cautious. The key takeaway is that Cognizant Technology Solutions is effectively managing costs and driving efficiency, which is a great sign for investors like you in this economic climate.

For the third quarter of 2025 (Q3 2025), the company reported revenue of $5.42 billion. This represents a solid 7.4% increase year-over-year (or 6.5% in constant currency terms), exceeding the high end of their own guidance. This growth was broad-based, with North America showing noteworthy performance, plus recent acquisitions contributed approximately 250 basis points to the year-over-year revenue growth.

Here's the quick math on profitability: Adjusted Earnings Per Share (EPS) for Q3 2025 was $1.39, an 11% jump from the previous year, comfortably beating analyst expectations. This strong operational showing led the company to raise its full-year 2025 revenue guidance to a range of $21.05 billion to $21.10 billion, representing a year-over-year growth of 6.6% to 6.9%. That's a defintely positive signal.

• Q3 2025 Revenue: $5.42 billion.
• Full-Year 2025 Revenue Guidance: $21.05 billion to $21.10 billion.
• Q3 2025 Adjusted EPS: $1.39 (up 11% year-over-year).

AI-Driven Leadership in a Transforming Industry

Cognizant Technology Solutions is not just a legacy IT firm; they are actively repositioning as an AI builder, which is crucial for staying ahead in the professional services industry. They are a leading global professional services company, and their recent deal momentum confirms that market position.

The company signed six large deals in Q3 2025, which brings their year-to-date total to 16, representing a 40% growth in large deal Total Contract Value (TCV) compared to the same period last year. This momentum shows clients are committing to multi-year digital transformation projects.

A concrete example of their leadership came on November 20, 2025, when they were selected by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to lead a multi-year digital transformation program that includes introducing AI-enabled insights and automation. Internally, they are walking the talk; roughly 30% of their internal code was AI-generated in Q3 2025, with a goal to reach 50% in the near future. This focus on AI-led hyper-productivity is what will drive the expected full-year 2025 Adjusted Operating Margin of approximately 15.7%. To understand the institutional conviction behind these numbers, you should check out Exploring Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (CTSH) Investor Profile: Who's Buying and Why?

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (CTSH) Mission Statement

As a financial analyst, I look at a mission statement not as a marketing slogan, but as a clear strategic roadmap that dictates capital allocation and operational focus. Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation's (CTSH) mission is to dedicate its business process and technology innovation know-how, deep industry expertise, and worldwide resources to working together with clients to make their businesses stronger. This isn't just about selling technology; it's about becoming an indispensable partner in what they call 'engineering modern businesses.'

A mission statement's significance is simple: it guides every major decision. For Cognizant, this focus has translated into strong financial performance, with the company raising its full-year 2025 revenue guidance to a range of $21.05 billion to $21.10 billion as of the third quarter of 2025. That growth, a projected increase of 6.6% to 6.9% year-over-year, doesn't happen by accident; it's the direct result of executing on a mission built on three core pillars.

You need to see how these pillars translate into revenue and margin expansion. The goal is clear: become the preeminent technology services partner to the world's top companies.

Pillar 1: Driving Digital Transformation

The first core component of Cognizant's mission is driving digital transformation. This means helping clients modernize their core technology and reimagine their business processes to stay competitive. It's a massive, multi-year endeavor for any Fortune 500 company, so a partner needs to bring both scale and specific industry knowledge.

For example, in late 2025, Cognizant was selected by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to deliver a comprehensive digital transformation program, which included implementing new core HR and Expense Management Systems. This kind of work is the bedrock of their revenue. The company is doubling down on AI-led transformations, which is defintely where the market is going, using solutions like their NVIDIA-powered Neuro platform to deliver AI-driven solutions.

• Modernize technology, reimagine processes.
• Focus on measurable business outcomes like cost reduction.
• Leverage deep industry expertise for tailored solutions.

Pillar 2: Commitment to Technological Innovation

The second pillar, technological innovation, is what keeps Cognizant relevant in a market where the tech stack changes every 18 months. Their vision emphasizes continuous innovation, pushing boundaries to reimagine what's possible, particularly through an AI-first transformation mindset.

Here's the quick math: you can't deliver a 15.7% Adjusted Operating Margin, as guided for the full-year 2025, without constantly improving efficiency through new technology. Their strategic objectives, introduced at their March 2025 Investor Day, explicitly focus on accelerating growth, amplifying talent, and scaling innovation, with a major focus on advancing Generative AI (Gen AI) offerings. They are actively pursuing a 'three vector AI builder strategy' to gain traction in this space. This commitment to R&D and new capabilities is a prerequisite for being a leader in the professional services space.

For more on how this innovation has shaped the company, you can look at the full historical context: Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (CTSH): History, Ownership, Mission, How It Works & Makes Money.

Pillar 3: Delivering Client-Centric Solutions

The final, and arguably most important, component is client-centric solutions. The mission states a single-minded goal: 'to work together with clients to make their businesses stronger.' This isn't just a nice phrase; it's a measurable metric in their business model. The company's large deal momentum is a concrete example of this commitment.

In the second quarter of 2025 alone, Cognizant secured six large deals, each with a total contract value of over $100 million, and impressively, two of those deals had a total contract value of over $1 billion each. This level of commitment from clients reflects trust and a track record of quality delivery. Furthermore, the company has maintained employee engagement scores well above industry benchmarks, which directly contributes to historically high client net promoter scores (NPS). When your people are engaged, your clients are happier. The trailing 12-month bookings reached $27.5 billion as of Q3 2025, a 5% year-over-year increase, showing that their client-centric approach is translating into long-term, high-value contracts.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (CTSH) Vision Statement

You're looking at a company's vision to understand where your investment or partnership dollars are actually going, and that's smart. The vision of Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (CTSH) is not just a feel-good statement; it's a direct map for their capital allocation and strategic focus, especially as they lean heavily into the AI-first world.

The core takeaway is this: Cognizant aims to cement its position as the preeminent technology services partner for the world's top companies by engineering modern businesses, a strategy that is clearly paying off with a projected $21.05 billion to $21.10 billion in revenue for the 2025 fiscal year. That kind of growth, even in a competitive market, tells you they are executing on their mission to make client businesses stronger. Exploring Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (CTSH) Investor Profile: Who's Buying and Why?

Engineering Modern Businesses to Improve Everyday Life (Purpose)

This is the foundation-the company's purpose. It's a plain-English statement that translates directly into their service model: they help clients modernize technology, reimagine processes, and transform experiences. Honestly, this isn't corporate fluff; it's a necessary focus for survival in the current market. Every client, from a major bank to a healthcare provider, is facing a legacy modernization mandate, and Cognizant's job is to close the gap between AI-driven goals and the challenge of reducing technical debt.

Their mission is single-minded: dedicate deep industry expertise and global resources to make clients stronger. This client-centricity is visible in their financial health, too. The consensus earnings per share (EPS) for FY 2025 is guided to be between $5.22 and $5.26, a clear signal that their service delivery model is driving profitability. They are leveraging a global workforce of over 349,800 associates to deliver these solutions, which requires a huge commitment to their core values to keep the machine running.

Becoming the Preeminent Technology Services Partner (Vision)

The vision is about market leadership, specifically aiming to be the 'preeminent technology services partner with the world's top companies.' 'Preeminent' means they aren't just chasing volume; they are targeting high-value, complex engagements with the biggest players. This push requires an emphasis on innovation and a willingness to 'Dare to innovate,' one of their core values.

Here's the quick math on their strategic moves: The acquisition of 3Cloud, announced in November 2025, is a direct action to bolster this vision. This deal is expected to add over 1,000 Azure experts and engineers and more than 1,500 Microsoft certifications to their capabilities, strengthening their position as a reliable partner for enterprise AI readiness. This kind of inorganic growth is anticipated to contribute about 250 basis points to their 2025 revenue growth, which is expected to range from 6.0% to 6.3% in constant currency.

Values: The Bedrock of Execution

A vision is useless without the right culture to execute it. Cognizant's five core values are the operational guardrails for their over 349,800 employees.

• Work as one: Think beyond roles to win as a team.
• Raise the bar: Always aim for excellence in work and delivery.
• Dare to innovate: Push boundaries to reimagine what's possible.
• Do the right thing: Lead with integrity and make the ethical choice.
• Own it: Take ownership of outcomes for the company and clients.

This focus on execution and integrity is defintely critical for maintaining their adjusted operating margin, which is expected to be approximately 15.7% for 2025. A key driver of this margin improvement is AI-enabled delivery-they expect to reach 50% of internal code being AI-generated in the years ahead, up from roughly 30% in the third quarter of 2025. That's a massive productivity gain that directly ties their value of 'Dare to innovate' to your bottom line as an investor.

The company's ability to secure large-scale deals-inking six deals with a Total Contract Value (TCV) of $100 million or more in Q3 2025 alone-shows that clients trust their ability to 'Own it' and 'Do the right thing' on complex, multi-year engagements. This is where the rubber meets the road: integrity and innovation drive the big contracts.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (CTSH) Core Values

You're looking for the bedrock of Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation's strategy, and honestly, it's right there in their five Core Values. These aren't just posters on a wall; they are the operational principles that drove their full-year 2025 revenue guidance to a range of $21.05 to $21.10 billion, a clear signal of execution against a defined culture.

For a company with over 349,800 employees as of Q3 2025, a strong value system is the only way to maintain precision and scale. Let's break down how they translate these values into real-world business performance and client outcomes.

Dare to Innovate

Innovation is the engine of a technology services company, but it's more than just R&D spend; it's a culture of pushing boundaries and taking chances. Cognizant's vision is to become the preeminent technology services partner, and that demands continuous innovation, especially in the Generative AI (Gen AI) space.

Their commitment is concrete: they are investing over $1 billion to lead the AI transformation, which is a massive capital allocation decision that shows they mean business. This investment isn't abstract, either. They have already trained approximately 230,000 associates in AI skills to date, making this value a tangible part of employee growth and client delivery. This proactive upskilling is what keeps them relevant.

• Invested $1 billion+ in AI transformation.
• Trained 230,000+ employees in AI skills.
• Launched AI Innovation Labs for emerging tech.

Work as One

This value is about thinking beyond individual roles and relying on each other's strengths to win as a team-the definition of true collaboration. For a global firm, this means seamlessly integrating diverse teams and capabilities to deliver complex digital transformation projects for clients.

The proof is in the large deal momentum they've built. In the second quarter of 2025 alone, Cognizant's bookings surged, including a total of six large deals valued at over $100 million each. Two of those were mega-deals, each valued at over $1 billion, which only happens when you have a globally coordinated team working as one unit. This collaboration is also evident in their multi-year engagement, announced in November 2025, with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to implement a new core HR and Expense Management System and evolve the Salesforce platform, a project that requires deep technical and cultural alignment.

Raise the Bar

This is the pursuit of excellence in everything they do, from internal operations to client delivery. As a financial analyst, I look at the Adjusted Operating Margin for a clear measure of this value in action. The company is guiding for a full-year 2025 Adjusted Operating Margin of approximately 15.7%, which represents an expected 40 basis points of expansion.

Here's the quick math: they are increasing profitability while still investing heavily in growth. This efficiency gain is partly a result of their NextGen program, an initiative focused on operational excellence that has already reduced Selling, General, and Administrative (SG&A) expenses as a percentage of revenue by 140 basis points over the last two years. That's a defintely a measurable commitment to excellence.

Do the Right Thing

Integrity and ethical choice are non-negotiable, especially when you are a strategic partner to the world's top companies. This value extends beyond simple compliance to include social and environmental responsibility.

Cognizant demonstrates this through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, primarily through the Cognizant Foundation, which focuses on improving lives in the communities where they operate. The employee-led Outreach program, for example, utilizes volunteer expertise to devise skill-building and workforce programs for non-governmental organizations (NGOs). This is how they translate ethical intent into community impact, helping to solve humankind's most difficult challenges. You can learn more about the financial stakeholders driving these decisions at Exploring Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (CTSH) Investor Profile: Who's Buying and Why?

Own It

Ownership means taking accountability for the outcomes for the company, colleagues, and community. This is about being accountable for the results you deliver, good or bad.

For investors, this value is reflected in their capital allocation strategy and their commitment to shareholder returns. Cognizant expects to return approximately $2.0 billion to shareholders in 2025 through share repurchases and dividends, underscoring their confidence in their growth strategy and their ownership of the financial outcomes. They repurchased 4.5 million shares for $354 million in Q2 2025 alone, a clear action showing they own the capital structure and are actively managing it for value creation. They are putting their money where their mouth is.