COMPARE · Data as of August 21, 2026
ACN vs APLD
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. ACN scored 78.4, APLD scored 30.5 — ACN leads.
Compare another set
ACN
Accenture plc
78.4
$185.28 · $113.4B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
47.9
ACN leads
APLD
Applied Digital Corporation
30.5
$27.21 · $7.7B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
- Fastest growthAPLD+167.5%
- Strongest balance sheetACN0.25
- Highest qualityACN89 / 100
- Largest discount to fair valueACN-39%
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
ACN
stronger →← stronger
APLD
89
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
13
71
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
100
77
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
22
ACN is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
ACN
APLD
$12.6bA-
FCF
-$2.8bF
+6.7%C+
Rev
+167.5%A
0.25B
D/E
1.36C
14.8xA-
P/E
—
1.33B
PEG
1.83C+
—
P/S
12.7xC
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
ACN
APLD
39% below
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
—
~-7%/yr
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
—
+58%
1-yr DCF upside
—
+64%
5-yr DCF upside
—
+73%
10-yr DCF upside
—
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
ACN
Why this score
- Raising its dividend
- Durable high returns
APLD
Why this score
- Diluting shareholders
The companies
ACNAccenture plc
Why now
Information Technology Services · market cap $113.4b. Down 36% from 52-week high of $291.09 — deep drawdown territory. 25 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $179.11 (implying -3% upside).
Moat
ROE 24% sits above Buffett's preferred 15% threshold — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately. FCF converts 162% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined. $113.4b market cap gives the company enough scale to absorb fixed costs that subscale competitors can't, without yet being so large that growth has to come from acquisition.
Risk
Down 36% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up.
APLDApplied Digital Corporation
Why now
Information Technology Services · market cap $7.7b. Down 46% from 52-week high of $50.73 — deep drawdown territory. Revenue growing +167% — in hypergrowth territory. 11 sell-side analysts rate this a Strong Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $74.23 (implying +173% upside).
Moat
Turnaround / out-of-favor name — GAAP-unprofitable for now, so the durability case is forward-looking: it rests on a recovery (margin normalization, a cyclical upturn or restructuring) or an un-monetized asset (IP / network effects / first-mover position) rather than on current reported results.
Risk
Free cash flow is negative (-$2.8b) — capital raises or debt issuance likely required; dilution / leverage risk. Currently unprofitable (margin -30.2%) — path to GAAP profitability is the core thesis risk. Down 46% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Where ACN and APLD diverge
On the headline score the gap is 47.9 points in favor of ACN. They get there differently, though — each leads on a different pillar, so the better pick depends on which you weight.
- QualityACN 88.5 · APLD 12.9ACN +75.6
- ValueACN 76.9 · APLD 22.0ACN +54.9
- GrowthACN 70.7 · APLD 100.0APLD +29.3
Pillars run 0–100 against sector peers, so a score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.