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TP Plans to Return 1.5 Billion Euros to Shareholders by 2028 Amid AI-Driven Transformation

French call centre and office services company TP (formerly Teleperformance) announced on Wednesday new medium-term financial targets, including plans to return 1.5 billion euros to shareholders by 2028 through dividends and share buybacks.

TP, which offers decentralized customer service and moderation solutions, is leveraging AI-powered tools to enhance its offerings and address the potential automation impact on traditional outsourcing services. The company forecasted that up to one-third of its activities could be automated within the next three years.

Finance Chief Olivier Rigaudy said the firm aims for like-for-like sales growth between 4% and 6% (at constant exchange rates) by 2028 and targets a recurring EBITDA margin of 15.5% the same year. Over the 2026-2028 period, TP plans to generate 3 billion euros in free cash flow, allocating about 20% (600 million euros) for acquisitions.

On the innovation front, TP unveiled TP.ai FAB, a proprietary AI orchestration platform designed to integrate artificial intelligence with human expertise and automation. This initiative is supported by its acquisition of Agents Only, an AI-enabled crowdsourcing platform.

The company employs over 410,000 people globally and recently announced a cost-cutting plan involving 600 job cuts to manage debt that nearly doubled in 2023 after consolidating Majorel. Earlier projections for 2025 include 3%-5% like-for-like sales growth and a slight EBITDA margin increase.

Cognizant Increases Share Buyback Plan by $2 Billion Amid Economic Challenges

Cognizant Technology (CTSH.O) announced on Tuesday that its board has approved a $2 billion increase to its existing share repurchase program, bringing the total authorized amount to $3.1 billion. The company now expects to repurchase $1.1 billion worth of shares this year, a $500 million increase over previous expectations.

This move comes as part of Cognizant’s ongoing efforts to enhance shareholder returns, despite facing challenges in the IT services market. Shares of the company rose 1.7% in early trading following the announcement. Cognizant is set to host its investor day later today, where it will unveil its long-term growth strategies, including plans to improve its artificial intelligence (AI) offerings.

The company has been grappling with fluctuating IT services demand due to economic uncertainty and high interest rates, which have put pressure on enterprise budgets and caused clients to reduce spending. This uncertainty led to Cognizant lowering its annual revenue forecast last month, falling short of analysts’ expectations.

In addition to these financial concerns, Cognizant is also dealing with activist investor involvement from Mantle Ridge, which has been in discussions with the company since mid-2024. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that Mantle Ridge has acquired a stake worth more than $1 billion in Cognizant and has been privately engaging with the company to address its performance and share price growth.