Cognizant

Cognizant Technology Solutions is a large IT services and consulting firm, helping companies in banking, healthcare and other industries with software development, digital transformation and outsourced technology operations. Much of its delivery runs through a substantial workforce in India, and it competes against both global consultancies and lower-cost offshore rivals. Cognizant began paying a dividend only about a decade ago and has raised it since, but the yield is modest and the score is on the weaker side. Growth has been uneven, and the company relies heavily on buybacks alongside dividends to return cash. The profile fits investors seeking a technology-services holding with a token, growing payout rather than a primary income source.