Accenture plc (ACN)
Accenture provides IT consulting, systems integration, and outsourcing services to large enterprises and governments across the globe.
Information Technology stock comparison
ACN vs IBM: which business are you actually underwriting?
Compare Accenture plc with International Business Machines Corporation using their business models, SEC classifications, fiscal calendars, current primary filings, and the research questions that matter. This is a thesis framework—not a price target or automatic winner.
- Sector
- Information
- Industry
- Different SIC
- Shared themes
- 1
- Updated
- 2026-02-24
ACN vs IBM: quick comparison
| Company fact | ACN | IBM |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Accenture plc | International Business Machines Corporation |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Headquarters | — | Armonk, New York |
| Founded | — | 1911 |
| SEC industry | Services-Business Services, NEC | Computer & office Equipment |
| Fiscal year-end | August 31 | December 31 |
| Latest annual filing | 10-K · 2025-10-10 | 10-K · 2026-02-24 |
ACN vs IBM: audited financials
ACN reported revenue roughly in line with IBM in the latest audited fiscal year. On profitability, IBM converted a larger share of revenue into net income (15.7% versus 11.0%). Scale and margin are starting facts for the thesis, not the verdict.
| Metric | ACN | IBM |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $69.7B | $67.5B |
| Net income | $7.7B | $10.6B |
| Operating cash flow | $11.5B | $13.2B |
| Diluted EPS | $12.15 | $11.17 |
| Net margin | 11.0% | 15.7% |
ACN: FY ending 2025-08-31 · IBM: FY ending 2025-12-31. Figures as tagged in each issuer's SEC XBRL filing; fiscal calendars may not align.
How the businesses differ
Why this pair belongs in the comparison set
ACN and IBM have different SEC industry classifications, but both map to the maintained Artificial intelligence research theme inside the Information Technology sector. A shared classification or theme makes the pair useful for a defined research question; it does not mean the companies have identical products, economics, or risks.
International Business Machines Corporation (IBM)
IBM provides hybrid-cloud software, consulting, and mainframe systems to large enterprises and governments. Its Red Hat and watsonx platforms anchor a strategy built around open hybrid cloud and enterprise AI.
The useful starting point is not which ticker has performed better. It is whether the two companies convert the same economic forces into revenue and cash flow in the same way. ACN is classified by the SEC as Services-Business Services, NEC, while IBM is classified as Computer & office Equipment. The different industry codes are a warning against treating sector membership as proof of identical economics.
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The thesis, the numbers behind it, and what would break it. Full access is $15 a month.
Read the full researchWhich thesis does each company fit?
Use the distinction below to decide which filing deserves deeper work. It is a research routing rule, not a recommendation or prediction.
Study ACN when…
- The AI capital-expenditure cycle
- Interest rates and the cost of long-duration growth
- Enterprise IT budgets and cloud migration
- Export controls and the US–China chip race
Study IBM when…
- Software growth across Hybrid Cloud (Red Hat), Automation, Data, and Transaction Processing
- Consulting signings, backlog, and book-to-bill
- The IBM z17 mainframe cycle within Infrastructure
- Acquisition integration, including HashiCorp and the pending Confluent deal
Shared research themes
Artificial intelligence
SEC filing comparison and disclosure evidence
Start with primary filings because fiscal calendars and accounting presentation can make superficially similar quarters incomparable.ACN's fiscal year ends August 31, while IBM's ends December 31. Normalize the reporting periods before comparing growth, margins, capital intensity, or guidance.
The current verified House and Senate snapshot contains 49matched transaction rows for ACNand 48 for IBM. These delayed, range-based disclosures can identify a filing to inspect; they do not establish motive, conviction, or a real-time trading signal.
ACN primary filings
IBM primary filings
What this comparison cannot tell you
This page does not contain licensed live prices, a valuation model, earnings estimates, portfolio constraints, or a forecast of future returns. SEC classifications can be broad, company descriptions can lag strategic change, and the latest annual filing may predate a material acquisition or divestiture. Read subsequent quarterly and current reports before making a decision.
A stronger business is not automatically the better stock. Starting valuation, expectations, capital structure, cyclicality, dilution, and the probability of each thesis determine the investment outcome. Use this comparison to frame the work, then verify the numbers in the linked filings and current company disclosures.
ACN vs IBM FAQs
Are ACN and IBM direct competitors?
Accenture plc and International Business Machines Corporation sit in the same Information Technology sector but have different SEC industry classifications. The comparison is most useful for portfolio role and sector exposure, not as a claim that every product competes directly.
Which is better, ACN or IBM?
There is no context-free winner. Compare the operating exposures, filing evidence, valuation, balance sheet, and risks against the specific thesis you are testing. This page deliberately does not turn a static profile into a buy or sell recommendation.
Does this ACN vs IBM comparison include live prices?
No. Yield Theory does not republish unlicensed real-time market data. The financial figures on this page are the audited annual numbers Accenture plc and International Business Machines Corporation tagged in their SEC XBRL filings. Use a regulated broker or licensed quote provider for current prices and valuation multiples.
Where does the company information come from?
Company classifications, fiscal year-ends, and filing links come from the SEC EDGAR submissions API snapshot refreshed 2026-09-25. Business summaries and research themes are maintained by Yield Theory.
Data snapshot: SEC EDGAR submissions API, refreshed 2026-09-25. Independent educational research; not investment advice.
A comparison is the setup. The thesis is the call.
ACN vs IBM shows how the businesses differ. Membership is the monthly sourced view of who could benefit, what could break, and what evidence matters next. $15/month or $150/year.
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