Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (CTSH) vs The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (GS): Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?
As of 2026-09-17, CTSH is undervalued at $62, with a DCF intrinsic value of $135 and a margin of safety of 54%. GS is undervalued at $938, with an intrinsic value of $1956 and a margin of safety of 52%. Of the two, CTSH has the wider margin of safety.
Rewards
- ★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.
- ★PEG ratio of 0.93 suggests the stock is undervalued relative to its growth rate — paying less than 1x for each unit of earnings growth.
- ★Gross margin of 82.1% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
- ★Share count has been reduced by 11% over the past 4 years through buybacks, increasing each share's claim on earnings.
- ★Each dollar of retained earnings has created $2.58 of earning power — management is an exceptional capital allocator.
Risks
- ⚠FCF yield of 8.0% suggests reasonable valuation assuming continued moderate growth.
- ⚠6 insider sales with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.
- ⚠Altman Z-Score of 0.25 places the company in the distress zone — financial patterns resemble those of companies that experienced bankruptcy.
- ⚠16 insider sales with no purchases over the past 12 months — a persistent pattern of insider selling.
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 $62?
The market implies +0.2% Owner Earnings growth, roughly in line with history — reasonably priced.
Standard FCF implies +1.9%, reflecting ongoing growth investment.
Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.
Economic Moat Score
Learn more →Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. Margin Stability is the standout factor.
Narrow moat with reinvestment efficiency as the key competitive advantage. Improving margin stability would strengthen the moat.
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 pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"
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: CTSH vs GS
Is Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation or The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. more undervalued in 2026?▼
Based on our discounted cash flow model, CTSH trades at a 54.1% margin of safety (intrinsic value $135 vs. price $62), compared to GS's 52.1% margin of safety (intrinsic $1956 vs. $938).
Which stock has a wider economic moat, Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation or The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.?▼
CTSH scores 88/100 (Wide moat), while GS scores 65/100 (Narrow moat). The moat score measures competitive advantage durability across ROIC consistency, margin stability, revenue predictability, and reinvestment efficiency.
Is The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. in financial distress?▼
GS's Altman Z-Score of 0.3 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, Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation or The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.?▼
CTSH earns 18.0% ROIC versus GS's 2.2%. A higher ROIC means the company generates more profit per dollar of capital employed, a hallmark of durable competitive advantage in Buffett-style analysis.
Which dividend is safer, Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation's or The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.'s?▼
CTSH's dividend earns a safety score of 94/100 (Very Safe), compared to GS's 79/100 (Safe). CTSH has raised its dividend for 3 consecutive years.