CTSH vs FDS — Stock Comparison

Side-by-side on AltIndex’s AI Score and alternative-data signals — Reddit mentions, web traffic, hiring, sentiment — that move before price catches up.

Updated September 5, 2026

CTSH
Cognizant
63
Price
$62.31
12mo change
-20.0%
Market cap
$28.07B
Industry · Business Services
FDS
FactSet
53
Price
$301.96
12mo change
-23.4%
Market cap
$10.74B
Industry · Business Services

Verdict

CTSH and FDS are both leaders in Business Services. Over the past 12 months, CTSH has lost 20.0% while FDS has lost 23.4% in market cap. AltIndex’s AI Score gives CTSH the edge (63 vs 53) based on the 8 alternative-data signals below — signals that often move before price.

Price change (12 months)

Cumulative percentage change from 12 months ago, normalized to 0% at the start of the window.

CTSH held up better (-20.0%) than FDS (-23.4%) in price change (12 months) — both declined.

Reddit mentions

Monthly average of daily mention volume across the most popular stock subreddits. Retail attention surges often precede price moves.

Split read on reddit mentions: FDS at +8.0%, CTSH at -63.2%.

Sentiment

Monthly average of the Stocktwits bull/bear sentiment ratio. Captures retail-trader mood shifts smoothed over each month.

CTSH outpaced FDS in sentiment (+430.8% vs +60.5%).

Web traffic

Estimated monthly visits to each company’s website. A forward-looking proxy for consumer demand.

CTSH grew +89.8% in web traffic while FDS moved -24.7% — a divergent signal.

Job postings

Monthly average of open job postings on LinkedIn. Hiring shifts before management acknowledges demand on earnings calls.

CTSH added +141.4% in job postings — FDS moved -39.3%, the two diverged.

Headcount

Monthly average LinkedIn employee count. A slower-moving confirmation of corporate health.

Both ticked up in headcount: CTSH at +8.3%, FDS at +5.3%.

Instagram followers

Monthly average Instagram follower count. A brand-strength proxy for consumer-facing companies.

CTSH posted +27.3% in instagram followers over the window — FDS trailed at +16.1%.

Employee business outlook

Monthly average business-outlook score. Employees feel demand shifts before management acknowledges them.

CTSH grew +1.6% in employee business outlook while FDS moved -8.6% — a divergent signal.

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See 5 years of CTSH vs FDS signals & get impactful real-time alerts

The charts above cover the last 12 months. Sign up to see 5+ years of CTSH vs FDS alt-data history — and get real-time stock alerts the moment Reddit chatter spikes, web traffic breaks out, hiring accelerates or sentiment flips on either ticker. Be the first to know when one of these signals moves — before the price catches up.

FAQ: CTSH vs FDS stock comparison

AltIndex’s AI Score gives CTSH a 63 vs FDS’s 53. That score blends 10,000+ alternative-data signals — Reddit mentions, web traffic, hiring activity, employee outlook, sentiment — with traditional financials. Higher isn’t a guarantee but it does flag which name our model sees as the stronger setup today.

AltIndex isn’t financial advice; the answer depends on your horizon, sector view and risk tolerance. The comparison above shows which name scores higher on alt-data signals; for long-term positions also weigh fundamentals, valuation, sector rotation and portfolio concentration. Many investors track both via our alert system.

Look at the price-change chart above for the 12-month track record and the Reddit mentions / web traffic charts as forward-looking demand proxies. Stocks with rising attention and traffic ahead of price typically have stronger growth runways. AltIndex’s AI Score weighs these forward signals, so the higher score (CTSH at 63 vs FDS at 53) is our model’s composite read on near-term growth setup.

Dividend strength is a fundamentals-side question rather than an alt-data signal. The signals above (Reddit mentions, hiring, web traffic) focus on demand and momentum. For dividend yield, payout ratio and dividend growth, check each name’s individual page: CTSH profile and FDS profile.

Retirement holdings usually favor stability, dividends and lower drawdown risk over momentum. Neither AI Score is a substitute for that thesis — treat the comparison above as one input among many. Consider sector concentration (you may not want two of the same), correlation with the rest of your portfolio, and dividend track records on each ticker’s profile page.

Reddit mentions (retail attention), web traffic (consumer demand), hiring activity (corporate confidence), employee business outlook (Glassdoor), Stocktwits sentiment, social-media follower growth. Each moves before traditional financials confirm a trend — which is why this comparison adds context price-only tools miss.

Daily. AI Score, alt-data signals, and price marks all refresh each morning so the comparison reflects yesterday’s close + the latest disclosed alt-data scrapes.

Stocks similar to CTSH and stocks similar to FDS each list the closest peers by industry and market cap, with AI Scores and one-click head-to-head comparisons for every peer.