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ACN vs. SAP: Accenture vs. SAP Stock Comparison

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

Accenture (ACN) trades as ordinary local shares, while SAP (SAP) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.

Company profile comparison for Accenture (ACN) and SAP (SAP)
Profile ItemACNSAP
NameAccenture plcSAP SE Sponsored ADR
Country/RegionIrelandGermany
GICS SectorInformation TechnologyInformation Technology
GICS Industry GroupSoftware & ServicesSoftware & Services
GICS IndustryIT ServicesSoftware
GICS Sub-IndustryIT Consulting & Other ServicesApplication Software
Market Capitalization153.89 billion USD269.45 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateJuly 19, 2001September 18, 1995
Security TypeCommon StockADR

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

ACN
SAP
GSPC
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Accenture (ACN) vs. SAP (SAP), 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 SAP (SAP). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Accenture (ACN) and SAP (SAP)
MetricACNSAP
Total Return (1Y)7.87%-3.87%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)-4.56%20.21%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)-5.20%11.79%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

ACN
SAP
GSPC
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Accenture (ACN) vs. SAP (SAP), 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 SAP (SAP). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Accenture (ACN) and SAP (SAP)
MetricACNSAP
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)50.02%39.05%
Beta (5Y)1.001.09
Max Drawdown (5Y)-68.17%-52.26%
Avg. Volume (3M)6.18M2.27M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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ACN and SAP 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 SAP (SAP)
MetricACNSAP
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.07-0.21
Sortino Ratio (1Y)0.10-0.29

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both Accenture (ACN) at 26.03% and SAP (SAP) at 18.18% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.

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%

SAP

Software & Services industry group

18.18%

Max
53.85%
SAP
18.18%
Q3
17.90%
Median
6.59%
Q1
-9.59%
Min
-50.52%
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Accenture (ACN) vs. SAP (SAP): A comparison of their ROE against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

SAP (SAP) at 20.41% 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%

SAP

Software & Services industry group

20.41%

Max
41.17%
SAP
20.41%
Q3
15.28%
Median
4.63%
Q1
-5.42%
Min
-33.17%
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Accenture (ACN) vs. SAP (SAP): A comparison of their net margin against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Accenture (ACN) at 17.83% and SAP (SAP) at 29.50% 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%

SAP

Software & Services industry group

29.50%

Max
46.89%
SAP
29.50%
Q3
17.64%
Median
8.73%
Q1
-2.13%
Min
-30.45%
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Accenture (ACN) vs. SAP (SAP): A comparison of their operating margin against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Accenture (ACN) and SAP (SAP)
MetricACNSAP
ROE (TTM)26.03%18.18%
ROA (TTM)10.95%9.91%
Net Margin (TTM)11.28%20.41%
Operating Margin (TTM)17.83%29.50%
Gross Margin (TTM)32.05%73.58%

Growth

Revenue Growth

SAP (SAP) at 7.68% 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. SAP (SAP): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

SAP (SAP) at 130.19% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Accenture (ACN) at 11.60% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for SAP.

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

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Accenture (ACN) and SAP (SAP)
MetricACNSAP
Revenue Growth (YoY)6.47%7.68%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)4.98%7.63%
EPS Growth (YoY)11.60%130.19%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)7.98%46.25%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Accenture (ACN) at 1.43 and SAP (SAP) at 1.16 carry current ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.

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

SAP

Software & Services industry group

1.16

Max
5.11
Q3
2.77
Median
1.67
SAP
1.16
Q1
1.01
Min
0.03
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Accenture (ACN) vs. SAP (SAP): A comparison of their current ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Accenture (ACN) at 0.40 and SAP (SAP) at 0.23 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

SAP

Software & Services industry group

0.23

Max
2.52
Q3
1.13
Median
0.40
SAP
0.23
Q1
0.07
Min
0.00
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Accenture (ACN) vs. SAP (SAP): 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 SAP (SAP)
MetricACNSAP
Current Ratio (MRQ)1.431.16
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.400.23
Net Debt / EBITDA0.04-0.03

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Accenture (ACN) at 2.49% and SAP (SAP) at 1.03% yield above their industries’ entire benchmark ranges — high enough that dividend safety, not income, becomes the first question.

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%

SAP

Software & Services industry group

1.03%

SAP
1.03%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Accenture (ACN) vs. SAP (SAP): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Accenture (ACN) at 48.08% and SAP (SAP) at 36.45% pay out more of their earnings than any of their industry peers — the thinnest cover in their groups, so dividend headroom deserves attention.

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%

SAP

Software & Services industry group

36.45%

SAP
36.45%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Accenture (ACN) vs. SAP (SAP): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Accenture (ACN) and SAP (SAP)
MetricACNSAP
Dividend Yield (TTM)2.49%1.03%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)48.08%36.45%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Accenture (ACN) at 19.21 and SAP (SAP) at 29.07 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

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

SAP

Software & Services industry group

29.07

Max
112.94
Q3
60.32
Median
32.91
SAP
29.07
Q1
18.77
Min
6.69
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Accenture (ACN) vs. SAP (SAP): 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 SAP (SAP) at 6.84 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

SAP

Software & Services industry group

6.84

Max
17.91
Q3
8.78
SAP
6.84
Median
4.25
Q1
2.23
Min
0.02
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Accenture (ACN) vs. SAP (SAP): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Accenture (ACN) at 4.91 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while SAP (SAP) at 73.25 prices above its benchmark range — SAP looks rich relative to book.

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

SAP

Software & Services industry group

73.25

SAP
73.25
Max
16.63
Q3
8.50
Median
4.30
Q1
1.92
Min
-3.90
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Accenture (ACN) vs. SAP (SAP): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Accenture (ACN) and SAP (SAP)
MetricACNSAP
P/E Ratio (TTM)19.2129.07
P/S Ratio (TTM)2.076.84
P/B Ratio (MRQ)4.9173.25
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)6.94%3.73%