Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) vs Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (CTSH): Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?
As of 2026-08-03, AMD is undervalued at $476, with a DCF intrinsic value of $357902777187 and a margin of safety of 100%. CTSH is undervalued at $55, with an intrinsic value of $134 and a margin of safety of 59%. Of the two, AMD has the wider margin of safety.
Rewards
- ★Free cash flow has grown at a 29.3% CAGR over the past 4 years, demonstrating strong earnings power growth.
- ★Each dollar of retained earnings has created $2.01 of earning power — management is an exceptional capital allocator.
- ★Management has timed buybacks well — 3 out of 4 years showed value-accretive repurchases.
- ★Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation has maintained ROIC above 10% for 4 consecutive years, suggesting solid business economics.
- ★Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation scores 88/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with margin stability as the strongest competitive dimension.
- ★FCF yield of 8.9% is historically attractive — the business generates significant cash relative to its price.
Risks
- ⚠Altman Z-Score of 1.00 places the company in the distress zone — financial patterns resemble those of companies that experienced bankruptcy.
- ⚠7 insider sales totaling $144.5M with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.
Key Valuation Metrics
Learn more →Historical Fundamentals
Learn more →Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation. The dashed forward point is the forward P/E — today's price ÷ analyst consensus EPS.
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation. The dashed forward point is the forward P/E — today's price ÷ analyst consensus EPS.
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation. The dashed forward point is the forward P/E — today's price ÷ analyst consensus EPS.
$1 Retained Earnings Test
Learn more →> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis
Learn more →Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth
Learn more →What growth rate is the market pricing in at $476?
The market implies -30.0% Owner Earnings growth, below historical trends — potential opportunity.
Standard FCF implies a more demanding -30.0%, reflecting heavy growth investment expected to generate future returns.
What growth rate is the market pricing in at $55?
The market implies -1.3% Owner Earnings growth, roughly in line with history — reasonably priced.
Standard FCF implies +0.4%, reflecting ongoing growth investment.
Economic Moat Score
Learn more →Narrow moat with reinvestment efficiency as the key competitive advantage. Improving roic consistency would strengthen the moat.
Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. Margin Stability is the standout factor.
Forensic Accounting
Learn more →M-Score Trend
M-Score Trend
Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
Ownership Breakdown
Learn more →High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
Insider Buying Activity
Learn more →Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.
Insider Selling Activity
Learn more →Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.
🎭 Mr. Market's Mood
Learn more →"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"
"Market is pessimistic — investigate whether fears are temporary or structural"
Composite sentiment score based on market signals. Inspired by Buffett’s "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
⚖️ Buffett Signal
Learn more →The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.
The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.
Frequently Asked Questions: AMD vs CTSH
Is Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. or Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation more undervalued in 2026?▼
Based on our discounted cash flow model, AMD trades at a 100.0% margin of safety (intrinsic value $357902777187 vs. price $476), compared to CTSH's 58.6% margin of safety (intrinsic $134 vs. $55).
Which stock has a wider economic moat, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. or Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation?▼
CTSH scores 88/100 (Wide moat), while AMD scores 41/100 (Narrow moat). The moat score measures competitive advantage durability across ROIC consistency, margin stability, revenue predictability, and reinvestment efficiency.
Is Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. in financial distress?▼
AMD's Altman Z-Score of 1.0 places it in the Distress zone, signaling elevated bankruptcy risk. CTSH scores 7.0 (Safe zone). The Altman Z-Score is a five-factor model that predicts insolvency within two years; scores below 1.81 indicate significant distress.
Which stock has higher return on invested capital, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. or Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation?▼
CTSH earns 18.0% ROIC versus AMD's 6.2%. A higher ROIC means the company generates more profit per dollar of capital employed, a hallmark of durable competitive advantage in Buffett-style analysis.