TEANECK, New Jersey, August 2 /PRNewswire/ --
-- Exceeds Revenue and Earnings Expectations
-- Raises Outlook for Full Year 2006
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (Nasdaq: CTSH), a leading provider of IT services, today announced its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2006.
Highlights - Second Quarter 2006
- Quarterly revenue increased to US$336.8 million, up 59% from the
year-ago quarter.
- Quarterly diluted EPS on a GAAP basis was US$0.37.
- Quarterly diluted EPS on a non-GAAP basis, excluding the impact of
stock-based compensation expense, was US$0.41, compared to US$0.25 in
the year-ago quarter.
Revenue for the second quarter increased to US$336.8 million, up 18% sequentially from US$285.5 million in the first quarter of 2006, and up 59% from US$211.7 million in the second quarter of 2005. GAAP net income was US$55.1 million, or US$0.37 per diluted share. Net income for the second quarter increased to US$61.0 million on a non-GAAP basis, or US$0.41 per diluted share, compared to US$36.0 million, or US$0.25 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2005. GAAP operating margin for the quarter was 18.0%. Non-GAAP operating margin was 20.0%, at the high end of the Company's targeted 19-20% range. Reconciliations of non-GAAP measures to GAAP operating income, net income, and EPS are included at the end of this release.
"We are very pleased with our strong second quarter results, driven by significant revenue growth across an expanding range of industries, service-offerings and geographies," said Lakshmi Narayanan, President and CEO of Cognizant. "As expected, our leadership in financial services, healthcare and life sciences, combined with our competitive expertise in newer verticals, allowed us to generate significant growth from our continually expanding client base. During the quarter we continued to experience strong demand for our full range of service offerings, particularly ERP and CRM, advanced solutions development, testing, data warehousing and infrastructure management. We are also pleased with the considerable traction we have gained in Europe, where the growth rate exceeded that of the rest of the Company this quarter."
Mr. Narayanan continued, "As Cognizant accelerates past the one-billion dollar revenue mark, our focus continues to be on preparing the Company for steadfast growth in 2007 and beyond. Today we have announced an organizational change that we believe will provide a strong foundation for managing that growth, including the appointment of Francisco D'Souza to President and Chief Executive Officer, effective as of January 1, 2007. Cognizant's strength lies in its operational excellence, and by enhancing the depth of our senior management team with leadership from seasoned Cognizant veterans, we are focused on maintaining our industry-leading strategy for growth well into the future."
2006 Outlook - Third Quarter & Full Year
Based on current visibility, the Company is now providing the following guidance:
- Third quarter 2006 revenue anticipated to be at least US$363 million.
- Third quarter 2006 diluted EPS expected to be approximately US$0.38 on
a GAAP basis, and US$0.42 on a non-GAAP basis, which excludes the
impact of stock-based compensation expense.
- Fiscal 2006 revenue now anticipated to be at least US$1.37 billion.
- Fiscal 2006 diluted EPS expected to be at least US$1.45 on a GAAP
basis.
- Fiscal 2006 diluted EPS expected to be at least US$1.62 on a non-GAAP
basis, which excludes the impact of stock-based compensation expense.
- Total headcount by end of 2006 expected to exceed 36,000.
"Our strong financial results are clearly the product of our strategic investments to differentiate Cognizant in the marketplace and in the eyes of our clients," said Gordon Coburn, Chief Financial Officer of Cognizant. "Our success in anticipating customer demand through ahead-of-the-curve investments in vertical expertise and service-area capabilities continues to generate high levels of client satisfaction and provide additional drivers of future growth. During the quarter, we also invested further in campus recruitment and training programs for staff members at all levels to ensure that Cognizant continues to attract a superior quality of employees and cultivate their development. As a result of our strong performance over the first half of the year, our confidence in our reinvestment strategy and the growing demand environment, we have increased our revenue and earnings expectations for Fiscal 2006."
Conference Call
Cognizant will host a conference call today, August 2, at 9:00 a.m. (ET) to discuss the Company's quarterly results. To listen to the call please dial +1-888-652-6834 domestically or +1-706-679-3288 internationally. The call will also be broadcast live via the Internet at Cognizant's web site, www.cognizant.com. Please go to the web site at least fifteen minutes prior to the call to register, download and install any necessary audio software. A replay will be made available on the web site at www.cognizant.com or by calling +1-800-642-1687 for domestic callers and +1-706-645-9291 for international callers and entering "3072892" from two hours after the end of the call until 11:59 p.m. (ET) on August 9, 2006.
About Cognizant
Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) is a leading provider of IT services. Focused on delivering strategic information technology solutions that address the complex business needs of its clients, Cognizant uses its own on-site/offshore outsourcing model to provide applications management, development, integration, and reengineering; infrastructure management; business process outsourcing; and numerous related services, such as enterprise consulting, technology architecture, program management, and change management.
Cognizant's more than 31,000 employees are committed to partnerships that sustain long-term, proven value for customers by delivering high-quality, cost-effective solutions through its development centers in India and on-site client teams. Cognizant maintains P-CMM and SEI-CMM Level 5 assessments from an independent third-party assessor, was recently named one of Forbes' Best Small Companies in America for the fourth consecutive year, and ranked among the top information technology companies in BusinessWeek's Hot Growth Companies. Cognizant is a member of the NASDAQ-100 Index. Find additional information about Cognizant at www.cognizant.com.
This press release includes statements which may constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the accuracy of which are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied include general economic conditions and the factors discussed in our most recent Form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Cognizant undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
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