10-QPeriod: Q1 FY2020

COGNIZANT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS CORP Quarterly Report for Q1 Ended Mar 31, 2020

Filed May 8, 2020For Securities:CTSH

Summary

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (CTSH) reported first-quarter 2020 results with revenues of $4.225 billion, a 2.8% increase year-over-year. However, net income declined by 16.8% to $367 million, or $0.67 per diluted share, primarily due to increased foreign currency exchange losses and restructuring charges. The company highlighted the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which began affecting demand and fulfillment in March 2020. This led to revenue growth slowing meaningfully and is expected to continue to negatively impact revenues across all segments in the second quarter and beyond. Despite these challenges, Cognizant incurred $55 million in restructuring charges related to its "Fit for Growth Plan" and incurred $6 million in COVID-19 related expenses. The company also announced a significant security incident involving a Maze ransomware attack in April 2020, which is expected to adversely impact financial results, particularly in Q2 2020, due to business disruption and incremental costs. Financially, Cognizant ended the quarter with strong liquidity, reporting $3.886 billion in cash and cash equivalents. The company also raised $1.74 billion against its revolving credit facility to bolster its cash position. While revenue showed modest growth, the decline in net income and the outlook clouded by the pandemic and the cybersecurity incident present key areas of focus for investors.

Financial Statements
Beta
Revenue$4.22B
SG&A Expenses$711.00M
Operating Income$579.00M
Interest Expense$6.00M
Net Income$367.00M
EPS (Basic)$0.67
EPS (Diluted)$0.67
Shares Outstanding (Basic)546.00M
Shares Outstanding (Diluted)546.00M

Key Highlights

  • 1Revenue increased by 2.8% to $4.225 billion in Q1 2020, with constant currency growth of 3.5%.
  • 2Net income decreased by 16.8% to $367 million, impacting diluted EPS to $0.67.
  • 3The company experienced a significant slowdown in revenue growth in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with expectations of continued negative impacts.
  • 4Restructuring charges of $55 million were recognized related to the "2020 Fit for Growth Plan."
  • 5Cash and cash equivalents significantly increased to $3.886 billion as of March 31, 2020, bolstered by $1.74 billion borrowed under the revolving credit facility.
  • 6Cognizant announced a significant cybersecurity incident involving a Maze ransomware attack in April 2020, expected to negatively impact Q2 2020 financial results.
  • 7The company's top five clients represented 8.0% of revenue, and top ten clients represented 14.1% in Q1 2020, showing a slight decrease in concentration from the prior year.

Frequently Asked Questions

The COVID-19 pandemic began to impact Cognizant's operations in March 2020, leading to a slowdown in revenue growth and fulfillment challenges. The company expects continued negative impacts on revenue across all business segments in the second quarter of 2020 and potentially longer. Management is actively monitoring the situation and implementing mitigation strategies.

Cognizant announced a Maze ransomware attack on April 20, 2020. While the company believes it has contained the attack, it resulted in unauthorized access to certain data and significant business disruption, including system outages and client service interruptions. The company expects this incident to adversely impact financial results, particularly in the second quarter of 2020, due to lost revenue and incremental costs for containment, remediation, and legal services. The full extent of the financial impact is still being determined and may exceed insurance coverage.

As of March 31, 2020, Cognizant had a strong liquidity position with $3.886 billion in cash and cash equivalents. The company also borrowed $1.74 billion under its revolving credit facility to increase its cash on hand in the U.S. and provide financial flexibility. Operating activities provided $497 million in cash flow for the quarter.

Revenue growth was driven by clients' adoption of digital technologies, demand for digital operations services, and contributions from recent acquisitions. This growth was partially offset by a decline in certain content-related services, pricing pressure on core services as clients optimize legacy systems, and fulfillment issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.