ACN vs VRSN Stock Comparison
Compare ACN and VRSN across AIQ Score, fundamentals, valuation, momentum, risk, analyst expectations and current market evidence.
What is the main difference between ACN and VRSN?
ACN leads the current stock comparison as Accenture plc, with the clearest separation coming from value and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
Accenture plc vs VeriSign, Inc.
ACN leads
ACN leads by 7 AIQ points, primarily on Value and Risk Resilience, but the lead has narrowed from 23 points over 30 sessions. Wall Street currently favors VRSN on target upside.
Fragile: 4 of 6 evidence groups support ACN, and its lead is narrowing.
Accenture plc
VeriSign, Inc.
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors ACN over VRSN, 61 versus 54 as of Sep 11, 2026. ACN's advantage is driven primarily by stronger value and risk resilience, while VRSN holds the stronger momentum profile. ACN also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average, though analyst target upside currently favors VRSN. 4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor ACN today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: the leader's advantage has been narrowing. ACN lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 23 to 7 points over 30 sessions.
Compare Accenture plc and VeriSign, Inc. across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Price-return comparison using available daily close history.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000
Based on available close-price history. Distribution reinvestment is not added unless already reflected in the source series.
Compare ACN and VRSN against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Value72 vs 40ACN +32
- Momentum45 vs 70VRSN +25
- Risk Resilience55 vs 46ACN +9
- Quality65 vs 60ACN +5
4 of 6 evidence groups favor ACN. ACN’s edge is concentrated in value and risk resilience; VRSN keeps a meaningful momentum edge.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-09-10, compared against the prior scored session 2026-09-09.
Largest factor move: Momentum +3
No new signals fired.
Largest factor move: Momentum -1
No new signals fired.
ACN's lead widened by 1 AIQ points in the latest snapshot.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — ACN and VRSN both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
ACN (Accenture plc): the stronger current systematic profile, led by value and risk resilience.
VRSN (VeriSign, Inc.): the counter-case, on momentum, technicals, analyst expectations.
The AIQ Score and Wall Street therefore point in different directions on this pair.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
ACNACN on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
ACNACN on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
ACNACN on the peer-relative Value factor, by 32 points.
Momentum
VRSNVRSN on the Momentum factor, by 25 points.
Lower downside
ACNACN on Risk Resilience, by 9 points.
Analyst upside
VRSNVRSN on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
The model and the Street disagree here: AIQ favors ACN, analyst targets favor VRSN. That disagreement is the most useful thing on this page.
| Measure | ACN | VRSN | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +6% | +16.2% | VRSN has more room |
| Target dispersion | +74.4% | +9.1% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Buy | Hold | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 17 | 2 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
The two are measuring different things. The AIQ Score reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; analyst targets price forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something already priced in — it is worth resolving before acting on either.
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor ACN. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | ACN | 61 vs 54 |
| Fundamentals | ACNon balance | revenue growth 3.7% vs 1.3%; EPS growth 29.1% vs 1.7%; TTM ROE 25% vs -39.2%; gross margin 32% vs 88.5%; operating margin 14.9% vs 67.9% — ACN takes 3 of 5 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | ACN | Value 72 vs 40 |
| Technicals | VRSN | Price vs 50-day 11.6% vs 4.2%; vs 200-day -11.9% vs 10.1% |
| Risk Resilience | ACN | Risk Resilience 55 vs 46 |
| Analyst expectations | VRSN | Target upside 6% vs 16.2% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of ACN and VRSN and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.
- The AIQ gap is moderate at 7 points.
- The leader's advantage has been narrowing. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- Signal direction runs against the verdict: the leader is net-bearish while the laggard is net-bullish. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- Analyst targets on the leader are widely dispersed. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on ACN.
How the comparison changed
119 daily snapshots · May 4 – Sep 10ACN lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 23 to 7 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- ACN +7
- 61 vs 54
- 7 sessions ago
- ACN +10
- 67 vs 57
- 30 sessions ago
- ACN +23
- 67 vs 44
- 90 sessions ago
- ACN +8
- 56 vs 48
The lead changed hands once in this window, most recently on May 11 when VRSN moved ahead of ACN.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
0 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral
- Death Cross Active — bearish, trend, long horizon (22.55%)
- ATR Expansion - Breakout Mode — neutral, volatility, short horizon (3.77%)
- MACD Bearish Crossover — bearish, momentum, short horizon
3 bullish / 1 bearish, conflicted
- Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (7.12%)
- EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish — bullish, trend, medium horizon
- Uptrend Structure Active — bullish, trend, long horizon
VRSN is conflicted, so the timing case there is weaker than the score alone suggests.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Price and the AIQ Score both moved up over the latest session (price +3.37%, AIQ +1 points).
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +1.34%, AIQ 0 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1VRSN closes the Value gap — currently 32 points behind, the largest single contributor to ACN's edge.
- 2VRSN generates a confirmed bullish trend signal it does not currently carry, such as MACD Bullish Crossover.
- 3ACN starts generating bearish momentum or trend signals.
- 4The narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 16 points over 30 sessions, and a further 7-point move would eliminate ACN's advantage entirely.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
ACN leads on balance| Metric | ACN | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | 3.7% | 1.3% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | 29.1% | 1.7% |
| Gross margin | 32% | 88.5% |
| Operating margin | 14.9% | 67.9% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 25% | -39.2% |
| Debt to equity | 0.26 | -1.04 |
Performance
VRSN leads 5 of 6 windows| Metric | ACN | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | -5.2% | -0.4% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | -1.2% | 2.1% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | 4.3% | 0.3% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | -11.7% | 22.5% |
| Year to date | -33.7% | 18.9% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | -30.4% | 2.1% |
Technicals
VRSN has the stronger structure| Metric | ACN | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 46.3 | 62.3 |
| ADX (14) | 20.1 | 14.1 |
| Price vs 50-day | 11.6% | 4.2% |
| Price vs 200-day | -11.9% | 10.1% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 40.6% | 28% |
Risk
ACN is the more resilient| Metric | ACN | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 0.3 | -0.01 |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.65 | 0.05 |
| Sortino ratio | -0.83 | 0.06 |
| Max drawdown | -56.9% | -26.9% |
| Current drawdown | -38.3% | -6.8% |
| Annualized volatility | 44.5% | 29% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -4.2% | -3.2% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, ACN or VRSN?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, ACN is the stronger of the two as of Sep 11, 2026, scoring 61 against VRSN's 54. The edge comes from value and risk resilience. VRSN is not without a case — it holds the better momentum profile, which matters more if that is the objective you are optimizing for. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is ACN or VRSN the better buy right now?
ACN carries the stronger systematic profile as of Sep 11, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 4 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: the leader's advantage has been narrowing. Treat the lead as provisional.
Why does the AIQ Score favor ACN over VRSN?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. ACN leads Value by 32 points; VRSN leads Momentum by 25 points; ACN leads Risk Resilience by 9 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, ACN or VRSN?
Analyst price targets imply +6% upside for ACN and +16.2% for VRSN, so the Street currently favors VRSN. That points the opposite way to the AIQ Score, which favors ACN. The two are measuring different things: the model reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; the Street is pricing forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something the analysts have already priced — it is the single most useful row on this page to investigate. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, ACN or VRSN?
ACN is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. ACN on the peer-relative Value factor, by 32 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, ACN or VRSN?
ACN on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, ACN or VRSN?
VRSN on the Momentum factor, by 25 points. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, ACN or VRSN?
ACN is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. ACN on Risk Resilience, by 9 points. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is ACN more profitable than VRSN?
The profitability evidence is mixed: gross margin 32% vs 88.5%; operating margin 14.9% vs 67.9%; ttm roe 25% vs -39.2%. ACN leads on one measure and VRSN on two measures, and there is no single profitability composite that resolves the split — which of the two reads as "more profitable" depends on whether you weight pricing power or operating leverage.
Is ACN's lead over VRSN getting stronger or weaker?
ACN lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 23 to 7 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 119 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-05-04 and 2026-09-10. The lead has changed hands once in that window, most recently on 2026-05-11, when VRSN moved ahead of ACN.
What would change the ACN vs VRSN verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: VRSN closes the Value gap — currently 32 points behind, the largest single contributor to ACN's edge; VRSN generates a confirmed bullish trend signal it does not currently carry, such as MACD Bullish Crossover; ACN starts generating bearish momentum or trend signals; the narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 16 points over 30 sessions, and a further 7-point move would eliminate ACN's advantage entirely.
What do the current signals say about ACN and VRSN?
ACN: 0 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral. VRSN: 3 bullish / 1 bearish, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on ACN is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon). On VRSN it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).
Compare ACN and VRSN with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.