For International Business Machines (NYSE: IBM) and Accenture (NYSE: ACN), markets have reacted in starkly different fashion to the stories of these two Gen-AI consulting leaders. Both companies have built multi-billion-dollar Gen-AI businesses, but one stock has soared, while the other hasn’t. Over the past 52 weeks, IBM shares have provided a total return of approximately 76% as of the June 30 close.
Meanwhile, Accenture’s total return is approximately 0%. This divergence in returns has led Wall Street forecasts to see solid downside potential in IBM, while seeing notable upside potential in Accenture. Importantly, Accenture's Gen-AI business is growing considerably faster.
