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ACN vs. ADBE: Accenture vs. Adobe Stock Comparison

How do Accenture (ACN) and Adobe (ADBE) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Accenture (ACN) and Adobe (ADBE) both fall under the Software & Services industry group, but ACN is classified in IT Services while ADBE is classified in Software.

Company profile comparison for Accenture (ACN) and Adobe (ADBE)
Profile ItemACNADBE
NameAccenture plcAdobe Inc.
Country/RegionIrelandUnited States
GICS SectorInformation TechnologyInformation Technology
GICS Industry GroupSoftware & ServicesSoftware & Services
GICS IndustryIT ServicesSoftware
GICS Sub-IndustryIT Consulting & Other ServicesApplication Software
Market Capitalization153.89 billion USD93.14 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENasdaq
Listing DateJuly 19, 2001August 13, 1986
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

ACN
ADBE
GSPC
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Accenture (ACN) vs. Adobe (ADBE), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Accenture (ACN) and Adobe (ADBE). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Accenture (ACN) and Adobe (ADBE). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Accenture (ACN) and Adobe (ADBE)
MetricACNADBE
Total Return (1Y)7.87%-27.09%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)-4.56%-25.55%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)-5.20%-18.62%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

ACN
ADBE
GSPC
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Accenture (ACN) vs. Adobe (ADBE), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Accenture (ACN) and Adobe (ADBE). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Accenture (ACN) and Adobe (ADBE)
MetricACNADBE
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)50.02%41.62%
Beta (5Y)1.001.38
Max Drawdown (5Y)-68.17%-71.90%
Avg. Volume (3M)6.18M4.61M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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ACN and ADBE are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Accenture (ACN) and Adobe (ADBE)
MetricACNADBE
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.07-0.75
Sortino Ratio (1Y)0.10-1.04

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both companies show strong equity returns, but Adobe (ADBE) at 61.90% is the standout with ROE above its industry range; Accenture (ACN) at 26.03% also sits in the top quartile.

ACN

Software & Services industry group

26.03%

Max
53.85%
ACN
26.03%
Q3
17.90%
Median
6.59%
Q1
-9.59%
Min
-50.52%

ADBE

Software & Services industry group

61.90%

ADBE
61.90%
Max
53.85%
Q3
17.90%
Median
6.59%
Q1
-9.59%
Min
-50.52%
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Accenture (ACN) vs. Adobe (ADBE): A comparison of their ROE against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Adobe (ADBE) at 28.05% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Accenture (ACN) at 11.28%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

ACN

Software & Services industry group

11.28%

Max
41.17%
Q3
15.28%
ACN
11.28%
Median
4.63%
Q1
-5.42%
Min
-33.17%

ADBE

Software & Services industry group

28.05%

Max
41.17%
ADBE
28.05%
Q3
15.28%
Median
4.63%
Q1
-5.42%
Min
-33.17%
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Accenture (ACN) vs. Adobe (ADBE): A comparison of their net margin against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Accenture (ACN) at 17.83% and Adobe (ADBE) at 34.82% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

ACN

Software & Services industry group

17.83%

Max
46.89%
ACN
17.83%
Q3
17.64%
Median
8.73%
Q1
-2.13%
Min
-30.45%

ADBE

Software & Services industry group

34.82%

Max
46.89%
ADBE
34.82%
Q3
17.64%
Median
8.73%
Q1
-2.13%
Min
-30.45%
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Accenture (ACN) vs. Adobe (ADBE): A comparison of their operating margin against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Accenture (ACN) and Adobe (ADBE)
MetricACNADBE
ROE (TTM)26.03%61.90%
ROA (TTM)10.95%20.08%
Net Margin (TTM)11.28%28.05%
Operating Margin (TTM)17.83%34.82%
Gross Margin (TTM)32.05%89.25%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Adobe (ADBE) at 10.53% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Accenture (ACN) at 6.47% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.

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Accenture (ACN) vs. Adobe (ADBE): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both Accenture (ACN) at 11.60% and Adobe (ADBE) at 35.11% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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Accenture (ACN) vs. Adobe (ADBE): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Accenture (ACN) and Adobe (ADBE)
MetricACNADBE
Revenue Growth (YoY)6.47%10.53%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)4.98%10.52%
EPS Growth (YoY)11.60%35.11%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)7.98%18.25%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Accenture (ACN) at 1.43 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Adobe (ADBE) at 0.77 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for ADBE.

ACN

Software & Services industry group

1.43

Max
5.11
Q3
2.77
Median
1.67
ACN
1.43
Q1
1.01
Min
0.03

ADBE

Software & Services industry group

0.77

Max
5.11
Q3
2.77
Median
1.67
Q1
1.01
ADBE
0.77
Min
0.03
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Accenture (ACN) vs. Adobe (ADBE): A comparison of their current ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Accenture (ACN) at 0.40 and Adobe (ADBE) at 0.58 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

ACN

Software & Services industry group

0.40

Max
2.52
Q3
1.13
Median
0.40
ACN
0.40
Q1
0.07
Min
0.00

ADBE

Software & Services industry group

0.58

Max
2.52
Q3
1.13
ADBE
0.58
Median
0.40
Q1
0.07
Min
0.00
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Accenture (ACN) vs. Adobe (ADBE): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Accenture (ACN) and Adobe (ADBE)
MetricACNADBE
Current Ratio (MRQ)1.430.77
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.400.58
Net Debt / EBITDA0.040.12

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Adobe (ADBE) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Accenture (ACN) reports a yield of 2.49%, ranking against industry peers normally.

ACN

Software & Services industry group

2.49%

ACN
2.49%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

ADBE

Software & Services industry group

0.00%

ADBE
0.00%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Accenture (ACN) vs. Adobe (ADBE): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Adobe (ADBE) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Accenture (ACN) reports a payout of 48.08%, ranking against industry peers normally.

ACN

Software & Services industry group

48.08%

ACN
48.08%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

ADBE

Software & Services industry group

0.00%

ADBE
0.00%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Accenture (ACN) vs. Adobe (ADBE): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Accenture (ACN) and Adobe (ADBE)
MetricACNADBE
Dividend Yield (TTM)2.49%0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)48.08%0.00%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Adobe (ADBE) at 13.36 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Accenture (ACN) at 19.21 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for ADBE, though growth and earnings durability still matter.

ACN

Software & Services industry group

19.21

Max
112.94
Q3
60.32
Median
32.91
ACN
19.21
Q1
18.77
Min
6.69

ADBE

Software & Services industry group

13.36

Max
112.94
Q3
60.32
Median
32.91
Q1
18.77
ADBE
13.36
Min
6.69
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Accenture (ACN) vs. Adobe (ADBE): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Accenture (ACN) at 2.07 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while Adobe (ADBE) at 3.59 prices around its industry’s middle — ACN costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.

ACN

Software & Services industry group

2.07

Max
17.91
Q3
8.78
Median
4.25
Q1
2.23
ACN
2.07
Min
0.02

ADBE

Software & Services industry group

3.59

Max
17.91
Q3
8.78
Median
4.25
ADBE
3.59
Q1
2.23
Min
0.02
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Accenture (ACN) vs. Adobe (ADBE): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

On P/B ratio, both Accenture (ACN) at 4.91 and Adobe (ADBE) at 7.95 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.

ACN

Software & Services industry group

4.91

Max
16.63
Q3
8.50
ACN
4.91
Median
4.30
Q1
1.92
Min
-3.90

ADBE

Software & Services industry group

7.95

Max
16.63
Q3
8.50
ADBE
7.95
Median
4.30
Q1
1.92
Min
-3.90
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Accenture (ACN) vs. Adobe (ADBE): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Accenture (ACN) and Adobe (ADBE)
MetricACNADBE
P/E Ratio (TTM)19.2113.36
P/S Ratio (TTM)2.073.59
P/B Ratio (MRQ)4.917.95
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)6.94%10.03%