ADBE vs CTSH: how the two businesses compare

  • Bigger business: ADBE, with $23.8B of yearly revenue, about 1.1× CTSH's $21.1B.
  • More profitable: ADBE keeps 30 cents of each sales dollar as profit, against 11 cents at CTSH.
  • More cash from each sale: ADBE turns 42 cents of each sales dollar into operating cash flow, against 14 cents at CTSH.

From each company's latest annual SEC filing. Fiscal years can end on different dates.

Adobe (ADBE) is the larger business by reported revenue: $23.8B in its fiscal year ended Nov 2025, about 1.1× CTSH's $21.1B (fiscal year ended Dec 2025). ADBE's net margin was 30.0% and CTSH's 10.6%. The SEC places them in related industries (Services-Prepackaged Software; Services-Computer Programming Services), and both map to the Artificial intelligence research theme.

Figures come from each company's own SEC filings. This page compares the businesses; it is not a price target or a verdict.

Sector
Information Technology
SEC industry
Different
Separate classifications
Fiscal year ends
Different
ADBE November 27 · CTSH December 31
Reviewed
Feb 12, 2026

ADBE vs CTSH: quick comparison

Company factADBECTSH
CompanyAdobe Inc.Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation
ExchangeNASDAQNASDAQ
HeadquartersSan Jose, California—
Founded1982—
SEC industryServices-Prepackaged SoftwareServices-Computer Programming Services
Fiscal year-endNovember 27December 31
Latest annual filing10-K · 2026-01-1510-K · 2026-02-12

ADBE vs CTSH: audited financials

  • Scale: ADBE's $23.8B of revenue is about 1.1× CTSH's $21.1B.
  • Net margin: ADBE kept 30.0% of revenue as net income versus 10.6% at CTSH.
  • Cash conversion: operating cash flow equalled ADBE 42.2% of revenue, or 1.41× net income; CTSH 13.7% of revenue, or 1.29× net income. A ratio well above 1× usually reflects non-cash charges or working-capital release; well below 1× can reflect working-capital build or non-cash gains.
  • Periods: the fiscal years end about 1 month apart (2025-11-28 for ADBE, 2025-12-31 for CTSH), so each figure reflects somewhat different demand and cost conditions.

ADBE: FY ending 2025-11-28 · CTSH: FY ending 2025-12-31. Figures as tagged in each issuer's SEC XBRL filing; fiscal calendars may not align.

Where ADBE and CTSH overlap, and where they don't

Overlap

  • Related SEC industries: both sit in SIC major group 73.
  • Shared research theme: Artificial intelligence.

Differences

  • Different four-digit SIC codes: ADBE is 7372 (Services-Prepackaged Software); CTSH is 7371 (Services-Computer Programming Services).
  • Offset fiscal calendars: ADBE's year ends November 27 and CTSH's December 31, about 1 month apart.
  • Only CTSH maps to International markets.
  • Profitability: net margin of 30.0% for ADBE versus 10.6% for CTSH.

Overlap is drawn from SEC classifications and Yield Theory research themes. It is not evidence that the companies sell to the same customers or compete product for product.

Adobe Inc. (ADBE)

Adobe dominates creative and document software through subscription products such as Photoshop, Premiere, and Acrobat. Its Firefly generative-AI tools are being woven throughout its Creative Cloud suite.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (CTSH)

Cognizant offers IT consulting, digital engineering, and outsourcing services with a large delivery workforce in India.

What moves each company

Company-specific drivers maintained by Yield Theory. Use them to decide which filing deserves deeper work; they are not predictions.

What moves ADBE

We have not yet published a company-specific driver list for ADBE. The primary source is Item 1 (Business) and Item 1A (Risk Factors) of its 10-K filed 2026-01-15.

What moves CTSH

We have not yet published a company-specific driver list for CTSH. The primary source is Item 1 (Business) and Item 1A (Risk Factors) of its 10-K filed 2026-02-12.

The investment question

You now know ADBE reports about 1.1× CTSH's revenue, and ADBE keeps more of each dollar as net income. Those are the facts. The investment question is what each share price already assumes about their exposure to artificial intelligence, and which evidence in the next filings would prove that assumption wrong.

Members-only research

What members are reading this month

The thesis, the numbers behind it, and what would break it. Full access is $39 a month.

Read the full research

SEC filing comparison and disclosure evidence

Start with primary filings because fiscal calendars and accounting presentation can make superficially similar quarters incomparable. ADBE's fiscal year ends November 27, while CTSH's ends December 31. Normalize the reporting periods before comparing growth, margins, capital intensity, or guidance.

The current verified House and Senate snapshot contains 42 matched transaction rows for ADBE and 6 matched transaction rows for CTSH. These delayed, range-based disclosures can identify a filing to inspect; they do not establish motive, conviction, or a real-time trading signal.

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.

ADBE vs CTSH FAQs

Are ADBE and CTSH direct competitors?

Not necessarily. Adobe files as Services-Prepackaged Software and Cognizant Technology Solutions as Services-Computer Programming Services. The pair is compared because both map to the Artificial intelligence research theme, not because the filings show head-to-head competition.

Is ADBE or CTSH the bigger company by revenue?

Adobe (ADBE) is the larger business by reported revenue: $23.8B in its fiscal year ended Nov 2025, about 1.1× CTSH's $21.1B (fiscal year ended Dec 2025). ADBE's net margin was 30.0% and CTSH's 10.6%. The SEC places them in related industries (Services-Prepackaged Software; Services-Computer Programming Services), and both map to the Artificial intelligence research theme. Each figure is the annual amount tagged in the company's own SEC XBRL filing; market value depends on live prices, which this page does not publish.

Which is better, ADBE or CTSH?

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 ADBE vs CTSH 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 Adobe Inc. and Cognizant Technology Solutions 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 2026-11-09. Business summaries and research themes are maintained by Yield Theory.

Data snapshot: SEC EDGAR submissions API, refreshed 2026-11-09. Independent educational research; not investment advice.

Which business differences matter to the investment thesis?

ADBE vs CTSH compares reported results. The reports below show how we connect operating evidence to an investment thesis, its assumptions, catalysts, and risks. $39/month or $249/year.

$39/mo or $249/yr · cancel future renewals anytime · sources included