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ACN vs CTSH
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Accenture (ACN) vs. Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTSH) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- ACN is the far larger enterprise, generating roughly $74 billion in fiscal 2026 revenue versus approximately $21 billion for CTSH.
- Accenture delivered record bookings and a strong fourth quarter, while Cognizant is showing accelerating revenue growth and steadily expanding operating margins.
- Both companies are betting heavily on artificial intelligence, but Accenture is a consulting-led "reinvention partner" while Cognizant positions itself as an "AI builder" in engineering and outsourcing services.
- Analyst sentiment differs: Wall Street currently leans toward a Hold on ACN versus a Moderate Buy on CTSH.
- On valuation, Cognizant trades at a meaningfully lower earnings multiple, while Accenture commands a premium for its scale and profitability.
Introduction
Accenture and Cognizant Technology Solutions are two of the most closely watched names in the IT services and consulting industry, making them a natural pairing for a stock comparison. Both compete for large enterprise transformation contracts, yet they differ sharply in scale, business mix, growth profile, and valuation. This comparison is especially relevant for investors evaluating relative performance and market positioning within the technology services sector, as well as for those gauging how the rapid adoption of generative and agentic AI is reshaping the competitive landscape. Traders seeking short-term momentum signals and longer-term investors assessing quality and stability may each find this side-by-side analysis useful.
ACN Overview and Recent Performance
ACN, Accenture, is a Dublin-based professional services leader spanning management consulting, technology services, and outsourcing. In recent market activity, the stock rallied sharply after the company reported fourth-quarter and full-year fiscal 2026 results, with revenue of $18.7 billion for the quarter and $74.2 billion for the year, up about 6% in U.S. dollars. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS, a measure of profit allocated to each share) rose 8% to $13.97 for the year. New bookings reached $22.2 billion in the quarter and $84.5 billion for the year, supported by strong demand for large-scale "reinvention" and AI initiatives. The company returned a record $11.5 billion to shareholders and expanded its adjusted operating margin. Sentiment has been broadly positive, though forward quarterly revenue guidance came in modestly below consensus expectations, tempering some enthusiasm. Analysts have generally maintained a Hold stance on the name.
CTSH Overview and Recent Performance
CTSH, Cognizant Technology Solutions, is a Teaneck, New Jersey-based provider of IT services, digital engineering, and business process outsourcing. In recent quarters, the company has shown an acceleration in revenue growth and a meaningful improvement in profitability, supported by large deal wins and disciplined cost management. Cognizant has guided toward full-year revenue of roughly $21 billion and an adjusted operating margin near 15.7%, reflecting roughly 40 basis points of expansion from the prior year. Its "AI builder" strategy, built around platforms such as Flowsource and Agent Foundry, has gained traction, with partnerships spanning Anthropic, Microsoft, and Rubrik. The company has reported that about 30% of its internal code is now AI-generated, a figure management expects to rise toward 50%. This momentum has translated into relatively strong recent share performance, with analysts maintaining a Moderate Buy consensus and a favorable growth trajectory relative to its larger peer.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
The clearest contrast between these two names is scale and business mix. Accenture operates a roughly $74 billion revenue base split almost evenly between consulting and managed services, giving it broad diversification across industries and geographies. Cognizant is a smaller, more focused operator concentrated in financial services, healthcare, and North America, with a heavier emphasis on engineering and outsourcing. In terms of growth, Cognizant's recent revenue growth has outpaced Accenture's, though Accenture's absolute bookings and free cash flow generation are far larger. On profitability, Accenture holds a modestly higher operating margin, while Cognizant has been closing the gap through AI-enabled delivery. Risk factors also differ: Accenture carries exposure to a cyclical consulting environment and uneven federal-government demand, while Cognizant faces concentration risk in a few large clients and verticals. From a valuation standpoint, Cognizant trades at a lower price-to-earnings multiple, whereas Accenture commands a premium for its scale, balance-sheet strength, and market-share gains.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on observable factors, Tickeron's AI would likely assign a modest edge to Accenture on measures of trend consistency, stability, and relative positioning. Its record bookings, steady margin expansion, strong free cash flow, and broad diversification suggest a more durable fundamental base, and the sharp post-earnings rally indicates positive momentum confirmation. That said, Cognizant's faster revenue growth, improving profitability, and more attractive valuation could make it the preferred candidate for investors prioritizing growth and relative value. In probabilistic terms, the AI model would lean toward Accenture for trend-following stability, while recognizing that Cognizant presents a credible higher-growth, lower-multiple alternative depending on the specific strategy and timeframe applied.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer.
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is ACN is a Buy and CTSH is a Buy.
ACN sees its 50-day moving average cross bullishly above its 200-day moving average
The 50-day moving average for ACN moved above the 200-day moving average on October 19, 2026. This could be a long-term bullish signal for the stock as the stock shifts to an upward trend.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on October 01, 2026. You may want to consider a long position or call options on ACN as a result. In 48 of 76 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are 63%.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for ACN just turned positive on October 01, 2026. Looking at past instances where ACN's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in 36 of 49 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 73%.
ACN moved above its 50-day moving average on September 29, 2026 date and that indicates a change from a downward trend to an upward trend.
Following a +8.21% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where ACN advanced for three days, in 183 of 299 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 61%.
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In 114 of 179 cases where ACN Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are 64%.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The RSI Indicator demonstrates that the ticker has stayed in the overbought zone for 6 days. The longer the ticker stays in the overbought zone, the sooner a price pull-back is expected.
The Stochastic Oscillator demonstrated that the ticker has stayed in the overbought zone for 7 days. The longer the ticker stays in the overbought zone, the sooner a price pull-back is expected.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where ACN declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 64%.
ACN broke above its upper Bollinger Band on October 22, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 35 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating steady price growth. ACN’s price grows at a higher rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 38 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 50 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to consistent earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 68 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is slightly overvalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (4.965) is normal, around the industry mean (2.669). P/E Ratio (20.486) is within average values for comparable stocks, (16.523). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (1.268) is also within normal values, averaging (2.284). Dividend Yield (0.026) settles around the average of (0.112) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (1.618) is also within normal values, averaging (139.965).
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of 75 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is slightly overvalued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 100 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating that the returns do not compensate for the risks. ACN’s unstable profits reported over time resulted in significant Drawdowns within these last five years. A stable profit reduces stock drawdown and volatility. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 93, placing this stock worse than average.
CTSH sees its 50-day moving average cross bullishly above its 200-day moving average
The 50-day moving average for CTSH moved above the 200-day moving average on October 12, 2026. This could be a long-term bullish signal for the stock as the stock shifts to an upward trend.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on October 08, 2026. You may want to consider a long position or call options on CTSH as a result. In 43 of 77 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are 56%.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for CTSH just turned positive on October 12, 2026. Looking at past instances where CTSH's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in 32 of 41 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 78%.
CTSH moved above its 50-day moving average on October 12, 2026 date and that indicates a change from a downward trend to an upward trend.
The 10-day moving average for CTSH crossed bullishly above the 50-day moving average on October 16, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted higher and could be considered a buy signal. In 9 of 14 past instances when the 10-day crossed above the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 64%.
Following a +8.13% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where CTSH advanced for three days, in 175 of 321 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 55%.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The RSI Indicator demonstrates that the ticker has stayed in the overbought zone for 5 days. The longer the ticker stays in the overbought zone, the sooner a price pull-back is expected.
The Stochastic Oscillator demonstrated that the ticker has stayed in the overbought zone for 5 days. The longer the ticker stays in the overbought zone, the sooner a price pull-back is expected.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where CTSH declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 58%.
CTSH broke above its upper Bollinger Band on October 22, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options.
The Aroon Indicator for CTSH entered a downward trend on October 09, 2026. This could indicate a strong downward move is ahead for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 4 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating outstanding price growth. CTSH’s price grows at a higher rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 25 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to outstanding earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 56 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 61 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (2.296) is normal, around the industry mean (2.669). P/E Ratio (15.752) is within average values for comparable stocks, (16.523). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (0.827) is also within normal values, averaging (2.284). Dividend Yield (0.018) settles around the average of (0.112) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (1.367) is also within normal values, averaging (139.965).
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 94 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating that the returns do not compensate for the risks. CTSH’s unstable profits reported over time resulted in significant Drawdowns within these last five years. A stable profit reduces stock drawdown and volatility. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 93, placing this stock worse than average.
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of 95 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
ACN | CTSH | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 46 | 45 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 68 Overvalued | 61 Fair valued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 100 | 94 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 38 | 56 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 35 | 4 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 50 | 25 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 75 | 90 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
CTSH's Valuation (61) in the Information Technology Services industry is in the same range as ACN (68). This means that CTSH’s stock grew similarly to ACN’s over the last 12 months.
CTSH's Profit vs Risk Rating (94) in the Information Technology Services industry is in the same range as ACN (100). This means that CTSH’s stock grew similarly to ACN’s over the last 12 months.
ACN's SMR Rating (38) in the Information Technology Services industry is in the same range as CTSH (56). This means that ACN’s stock grew similarly to CTSH’s over the last 12 months.
CTSH's Price Growth Rating (4) in the Information Technology Services industry is in the same range as ACN (35). This means that CTSH’s stock grew similarly to ACN’s over the last 12 months.
CTSH's P/E Growth Rating (25) in the Information Technology Services industry is in the same range as ACN (50). This means that CTSH’s stock grew similarly to ACN’s over the last 12 months.
| ACN | CTSH | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 56% | 2 days ago 52% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 71% | 2 days ago 50% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 63% | 2 days ago 56% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 73% | 2 days ago 78% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 61% | 2 days ago 56% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 61% | 2 days ago 51% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 61% | 2 days ago 55% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 18 days ago 64% | 17 days ago 58% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 67% | 2 days ago 58% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 64% | 2 days ago 64% |
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is overvalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
ACN’s FA Score shows that 0 FA rating(s) are green while CTSH’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s).
- ACN’s FA Score: 0 green, 5 red.
- CTSH’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
ACN’s TA Score shows that 6 TA indicator(s) are bullish while CTSH’s TA Score has 6 bullish TA indicator(s).
- ACN’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 4 bearish.
- CTSH’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 5 bearish.
Price Growth
ACN (@Information Technology Services) experienced а +15.04% price change this week, while CTSH (@Information Technology Services) price change was +12.09% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Information Technology Services industry was +0.73%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -5.28%, and the average quarterly price growth was -7.98%.
Reported Earning Dates
ACN is expected to report earnings on Dec 17, 2026.
CTSH is expected to report earnings on Oct 29, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Information Technology Services (+0.73% weekly)The industry, whose total market cap runs into trillions, makes hardware/software that allows data to be stored, retrieved, transmitted, and manipulated on computers. With the ever-increasing relevance of data, the information technology (IT) industry has gained momentous growth over the years, and continues to thrive on innovation. Some of the behemoths in the industry are International Business Machines Corporation, Accenture, and VMware, Inc.
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ACN and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, ACN has been closely correlated with GLOB. These tickers have moved in lockstep 75% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if ACN jumps, then GLOB could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To ACN | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACN | 100% | +7.69% | ||
| GLOB - ACN | 75% Closely correlated | +5.97% | ||
| EPAM - ACN | 73% Closely correlated | +3.49% | ||
| EXLS - ACN | 72% Closely correlated | +4.61% | ||
| G - ACN | 72% Closely correlated | +6.23% | ||
| GIB - ACN | 71% Closely correlated | +3.24% | ||
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CTSH and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, CTSH has been closely correlated with GLOB. These tickers have moved in lockstep 76% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if CTSH jumps, then GLOB could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To CTSH | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CTSH | 100% | +6.00% | ||
| GLOB - CTSH | 76% Closely correlated | +5.97% | ||
| EXLS - CTSH | 74% Closely correlated | +4.61% | ||
| GIB - CTSH | 72% Closely correlated | +3.24% | ||
| G - CTSH | 72% Closely correlated | +6.23% | ||
| EPAM - CTSH | 72% Closely correlated | +3.49% | ||
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