ANET vs IBM Stock Comparison

Arista Networks, Inc. vs International Business Machines Corporation

Data as of Sep 2, 2026· market close· Technology· Coverage 54/66 fields· Moderate confidence
AIQ VerdictFragileAIQ Comparison Conviction 2/10

ANET leads

ANET leads by 1 AIQ points, primarily on Quality and Momentum.

Fragile: 2 of 6 evidence groups support ANET, and its current signal state is conflicted.

Evidence agreement: 2 of 6Comparison trend: Stable
ANET

Arista Networks, Inc.

Leads
AIQ Score
57/100
AIQ Edge Score
7/10
IBM

International Business Machines Corporation

AIQ Score
56/100
AIQ Edge Score
7/10

The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors ANET over IBM, 57 versus 56 as of Sep 2, 2026. ANET's advantage is driven primarily by stronger quality and momentum, while IBM holds the stronger value profile. ANET also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 2 of 6 covered evidence groups favor ANET today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: the AIQ gap is narrow at 1 points. ANET lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 1 points over 30 sessions.

Compare Arista Networks, Inc. and International Business Machines Corporation across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.

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.

ANET advantage
0
IBM advantage
  • Value30%26 vs 67
    IBM +41
  • Quality30%89 vs 61
    ANET +28
  • Momentum25%59 vs 41
    ANET +18
  • Risk Resilience15%50 vs 48
    Even

2 of 6 evidence groups favor ANET. ANET’s edge is concentrated in quality and momentum; IBM keeps a meaningful value edge.

What changed since the last close

Latest scored session 2026-09-01, compared against the prior scored session 2026-08-31.

ANET0 AIQ

No factor moved materially.

No new signals fired.

IBM0 AIQ

No factor moved materially.

No new signals fired.

ANET's lead was unchanged in the latest snapshot.

Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — ANET and IBM both carry a full feed there.

The central trade-off

ANET (Arista Networks, Inc.): the stronger current systematic profile, led by quality and momentum.

IBM (International Business Machines Corporation): the counter-case, on value, valuation.

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

ANET

ANET on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value at 30% each.

Growth

IBM

IBM on combined revenue and EPS growth.

Value

IBM

IBM on the peer-relative Value factor, by 41 points.

Momentum

ANET

ANET on the Momentum factor, by 18 points.

Lower downside

IBM

IBM carries the lower 1-month annualized volatility.

Analyst upside

Even

Analyst targets are level or not covered for both names.

AIQ vs Wall Street

Where the systematic read and the analyst consensus line up — and where they do not.

MeasureANETIBMNote
Implied upside to target+15.9%+15.8%Level
Target dispersion+58.4%+65%Lower is tighter analyst agreement
ConsensusBuyBuyContext, not a primary driver
Analysts covering1213Higher coverage generally improves confidence

Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.

AIQ Agreement Matrix

2 of 6 covered evidence groups favor ANET. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.

Evidence groupFavorsReading
AIQ ScoreEven57 vs 56
FundamentalsANETon balancerevenue growth 12.1% vs 7.8%; EPS growth 18.5% vs 76.9%; ROE 30.8% vs 33.5%; gross margin 63% vs 58.4%; operating margin 43.1% vs 17.9% — ANET takes 3 of 5 decided legs, not all of them
ValuationIBMValue 26 vs 67
TechnicalsANETPrice vs 50-day 2.1% vs -4.4%; vs 200-day 29.8% vs -11.3%
Risk ResilienceEvenRisk Resilience 50 vs 48
Analyst expectationsEvenTarget upside 15.9% vs 15.8%

✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of ANET and IBM and are excluded from the count.

AIQ Decision Stability

Fragile

The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.

  • The AIQ gap is narrow at 1 points. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
  • Only 2 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
  • The lead has been steady session to session. (supports the conclusion holding)
  • The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (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 ANET.

How the comparison changed

120 daily snapshots · Apr 20 Sep 1

ANET lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 1 points over 30 sessions.

Apr 20ANET leads above the line · IBM leads belowSep 1
Today
ANET +1
57 vs 56
7 sessions ago
ANET +2
59 vs 57
30 sessions ago
Level
61 vs 61
90 sessions ago
ANET +1
54 vs 53

The lead changed hands 6 times in this window, most recently on Aug 26 when ANET moved ahead of IBM.

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.

ANETConflicted

3 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted

  • Golden Cross Active bullish, trend, long horizon (20.06%)
  • EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish bullish, trend, medium horizon
  • Beta Spike Warning bearish, risk, long horizon
IBMConflicted

1 bullish / 2 bearish, conflicted

  • Death Cross Active bearish, trend, long horizon (8.34%)
  • Downtrend Structure Active bearish, trend, long horizon
  • MACD Bullish Crossover bullish, momentum, short horizon

ANET leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.

Price vs model alignment

Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.

ANETNo material change

Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price -2.36%, AIQ 0 points).

IBMNo material change

Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +0.53%, 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.

  1. 1IBM closes the Quality gap — currently 28 points behind, the largest single contributor to ANET's edge.
  2. 2IBM's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it.
  3. 3ANET's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 3 bullish and 2 bearish rules at once.
  4. 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — the composite weights Quality and Value at 30% each, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.

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

ANET leads on balance
MetricANETIBM
Revenue growth (YoY)12.1%7.8%
EPS growth (YoY)18.5%76.9%
Gross margin63%58.4%
Operating margin43.1%17.9%
Return on equity30.8%33.5%
Debt to equity01.89

Technicals

ANET has the stronger structure
MetricANETIBM
RSI (14)48.545.6
ADX (14)22.610.2
Price vs 50-day2.1%-4.4%
Price vs 200-day29.8%-11.3%
Volatility (1M, annualized)49.9%29%

Risk

Split
MetricANETIBM
Beta2.050.89
Sharpe ratio0.870.07
Sortino ratio1.320.08
Max drawdown-28.3%-37.5%
Current drawdown-7%-29%
Annualized volatility54.7%48.5%
Value at risk (95%)-4.8%-3.3%

Straight answers

Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.

Which is better, ANET or IBM?

On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, ANET is the stronger of the two as of Sep 2, 2026, scoring 57 against IBM's 56. The edge comes from quality and momentum. IBM is not without a case — it holds the better value 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 ANET or IBM the better buy right now?

ANET carries the stronger systematic profile as of Sep 2, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 2 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: the AIQ gap is narrow at 1 points. Treat the lead as provisional.

Why does the AIQ Score favor ANET over IBM?

The composite weights Quality at 30%, Value at 30%, Momentum at 25% and Risk Resilience at 15%. IBM leads Value by 41 points; ANET leads Quality by 28 points; ANET leads Momentum by 18 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.

Which has more analyst upside, ANET or IBM?

Analyst price targets imply +15.9% upside for ANET and +15.8% for IBM. The model and the Street agree here, which is a broader base of evidence than either alone. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.

Which is better value, ANET or IBM?

IBM is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. IBM on the peer-relative Value factor, by 41 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, ANET or IBM?

IBM 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, ANET or IBM?

ANET on the Momentum factor, by 18 points. Momentum carries 25% of 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, ANET or IBM?

IBM is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. IBM carries the lower 1-month annualized volatility. The Risk Resilience factor weights 15% of the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.

Is ANET more profitable than IBM?

The profitability evidence is mixed: gross margin 63% vs 58.4%; operating margin 43.1% vs 17.9%; roe 30.8% vs 33.5%. ANET leads on two measures and IBM on one measure, 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 ANET's lead over IBM getting stronger or weaker?

ANET lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 1 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-04-20 and 2026-09-01. The lead has changed hands 6 times in that window, most recently on 2026-08-26, when ANET moved ahead of IBM.

What would change the ANET vs IBM verdict?

The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: IBM closes the Quality gap — currently 28 points behind, the largest single contributor to ANET's edge; IBM's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it; ANET's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 3 bullish and 2 bearish rules at once; a regime shift changes factor weighting — the composite weights Quality and Value at 30% each, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.

What do the current signals say about ANET and IBM?

ANET: 3 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. IBM: 1 bullish / 2 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 ANET is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon). On IBM it is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon).

Compare ANET and IBM with others

How this comparison is scored

The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality (30%), Value (30%), Momentum (25%) and Risk (15%). 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.