BetterThanSPY

Relative Intelligence · IT Consulting & Outsourcing

How Accenture (ACN) compares with the whole market and its popular alternatives

Built by QuantCommons' quantitative engine, this page is about relative opportunity, not data on ACN alone. It places ACN (Accenture plc) against 20+ popular alternatives, its neighboring categories and the entire market of over 10,000 U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs, and surfaces what has done better on consistent outperformance, return for the risk taken, behavior in real market crashes and diversification. The result is a clearer view of where ACN stands in the market, and of the alternatives worth a closer look.

Period covered: ACN's full trading record, from July 2001 through September 2026. The crash tests reach back to 2000 using older funds and the S&P 500. All returns include reinvested dividends. Data as of October 22, 2026.

Data as of October 22, 2026. Full tables and charts read best on a larger screen.

Rank the market against ACN →Chart ACN vs. 21 alternatives →

This page answers the following questions about ACN

Key findings

Not AI-generated

These key findings are generated by our proprietary relative intelligence engine, directly from the data on this page.

How much would $10,000 in ACN have grown?

This chart tracks a hypothetical $10,000 investment in ACN over the past 25 years, with dividends reinvested, alongside the same amount in the S&P 500, investments that ended ahead of ACN over the same span and ACN's popular alternatives, among those that traded for the entire period. A second view covers the past 5 years, the period the better options further down the page are judged on. It shows not only where each investment ended up but also how smooth or uneven the path was.

Choose a period

From the end of September 2001 to the end of September 2026. The scale is logarithmic, so equal steps up the chart are equal percentage gains. Hover over a fund in the key to pick out its line. 330 of the 1,326 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that traded the whole period ended ahead of ACN; the chart shows 5, closest alternatives first. The other 3 lines are popular alternatives, shown for context.

$10,000$100,000$1M2001200520092013201720212025$10,000$100,000$1M20012007201320192025
  • FFIV$959,412+9,494% total · +20.0% a year
  • CTSH$706,732+6,967% total · +18.6% a year
  • MSFT$328,610+3,186% total · +15.0% a year
  • CTAS$263,571+2,536% total · +14.0% a year
  • CACI$222,873+2,129% total · +13.2% a year
  • ACN$215,030+2,050% total · +13.1% a year
  • ORCL$137,478+1,275% total · +11.1% a year
  • SPY (S&P 500)$114,557+1,046% total · +10.2% a year
  • SAP$113,867+1,039% total · +10.2% a year
  • IBM$48,569+386% total · +6.5% a year
Change the dates or add tickers to this chart in EasyCompare

From the end of September 2021 to the end of September 2026. Hover over a fund in the key to pick out its line. 3,107 of the 3,630 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that traded the whole period ended ahead of ACN; the chart shows 5, closest alternatives first. The other 3 lines are popular alternatives, shown for context.

$0$5,000$10,000$15,000$20,000$25,000$30,000$35,000202120222023202420252026$0$10,000$20,000$30,000$40,000202120222023202420252026
  • CACI$23,239+132% total · +18.4% a year
  • IBM$20,049+100% total · +14.9% a year
  • SPY (S&P 500)$19,000+90.0% total · +13.7% a year
  • MSFT$18,958+89.6% total · +13.6% a year
  • ORCL$16,857+68.6% total · +11.0% a year
  • SAP$16,715+67.2% total · +10.8% a year
  • SAIC$15,988+59.9% total · +9.8% a year
  • EXLS$13,964+39.6% total · +6.9% a year
  • NOW$10,768+7.7% total · +1.5% a year
  • ACN$6,304−37.0% total · −8.8% a year
Change the dates or add tickers to this chart in EasyCompare

ACN at a glance

This section summarizes the key facts about the stock, its returns over periods from one to ten years and the risk it has carried, with dividends reinvested throughout. These figures serve as the baseline for every comparison that follows.

The company

Market value
$158B
Industry
Information Technology Services
Price history from
July 2001

Returns

Past 1 year
+7.5%total return
Past 3 years
−5.8%−2.0% a year
Past 5 years
−19.2%−4.2% a year
Past 10 years
+167%+10.3% a year
Best calendar year
+60.7%2021
Worst calendar year
−34.8%2022
Losing years
6 of 24full calendar years

Risk

Volatility
32.9%typical yearly swing, 5 years
Sharpe ratio
0.04return per unit of risk, 5 years
Worst decline ever
−67.8%Feb 2025 to Jun 2026
From its all-time high
−31.7%below the peak

ACN against the whole market

Where ACN ranks among every stock and fund, and what across the market has done better.

How does ACN rank among all stocks?

This section ranks ACN on return, volatility, risk-adjusted return and worst decline against every stock worth at least $300 million with enough history. Where the comparisons with its popular alternatives show how ACN stacks up against its peers, these rankings show where it stands in the market as a whole.

Ranked against U.S.-listed stocks worth at least $300M that have enough history for each measure, so the count changes from row to row; smaller stocks are left out. Lower volatility and smaller declines rank higher.

MeasureACNRankStanding
1-year return+7.5%1,720 of 3,282bottom 49%
3-year return−5.8%2,438 of 3,016bottom 20%
5-year return−19.2%2,008 of 2,897bottom 32%
10-year return+167%997 of 2,201top 45%
Volatility, 5 years32.9%991 of 2,897top 34%
Sharpe ratio, 5 years0.042,289 of 2,897bottom 22%
Worst decline, past 10 years−67.8%1,208 of 2,184bottom 46%

What has beaten ACN on both return and risk?

Each dot is an investment, placed by how much it earned a year over the past 5 years (higher is better) and how much its price swung, its volatility (further left is calmer). ACN sits where the dashed lines cross. Anything in the green box above and to the left earned more than ACN with smaller swings, a better trade-off over this period on both counts. Past results are no promise, but a name in the box is worth a closer look.

Annual return is the annualized total return with dividends reinvested, and volatility the annualized swing in daily prices, both over 5 years. Labeled dots are the strongest picks from the table below and the names called out above, colored by how close they sit to ACN; faint dots are 88 more of the 1,645 in the green region (the strongest, one per fund family). 3,641 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million were screened. Hover over a dot for its figures.

−5.0%0.0%5.0%10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%−10.0%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsMore return, less volatility than ACNHMC: +6.7% a year, volatility 27.5%A: +2.7% a year, volatility 30.6%SJM: +5.2% a year, volatility 25.1%VIG: +10.4% a year, volatility 14.1%RY: +17.5% a year, volatility 18.2%WM: +9.5% a year, volatility 19.3%IVW: +12.6% a year, volatility 21.6%AEP: +12.8% a year, volatility 20.2%FAST: +16.2% a year, volatility 24.6%JAAA: +5.1% a year, volatility 1.7%CASY: +30.8% a year, volatility 29.4%AAPL: +19.1% a year, volatility 28.0%ATO: +15.9% a year, volatility 18.5%XEL: +7.2% a year, volatility 20.9%WCN: +7.4% a year, volatility 20.4%SAFT: +9.9% a year, volatility 28.5%WEC: +7.7% a year, volatility 19.1%OEF: +14.1% a year, volatility 17.8%NI: +15.5% a year, volatility 20.3%DGRW: +11.7% a year, volatility 14.0%AEE: +8.2% a year, volatility 19.4%SPHQ: +11.7% a year, volatility 16.7%VTI: +11.4% a year, volatility 17.5%HSTM: +4.4% a year, volatility 29.4%WMT: +21.1% a year, volatility 22.6%XOM: +27.5% a year, volatility 26.5%JPM: +17.3% a year, volatility 24.3%FTCS: +6.5% a year, volatility 13.3%HSBC: +32.8% a year, volatility 25.9%V: +13.2% a year, volatility 22.9%DXJ: +26.6% a year, volatility 19.1%RLI: +9.2% a year, volatility 24.0%KO: +15.2% a year, volatility 16.8%LVHI: +16.9% a year, volatility 11.1%CVX: +19.7% a year, volatility 25.2%PTLC: +9.3% a year, volatility 11.9%COST: +17.4% a year, volatility 22.9%BALT: +6.2% a year, volatility 3.3%NIC: +19.7% a year, volatility 30.2%VXUS: +8.0% a year, volatility 16.4%MUFG: +33.5% a year, volatility 29.4%MA: +12.7% a year, volatility 23.8%PM: +21.3% a year, volatility 23.4%VRIG: +4.7% a year, volatility 1.3%AOA: +8.4% a year, volatility 13.1%CSCO: +16.9% a year, volatility 26.1%NVS: +17.4% a year, volatility 20.7%CWB: +3.7% a year, volatility 13.8%MRK: +16.1% a year, volatility 24.8%MCK: +37.8% a year, volatility 25.1%PWB: +14.0% a year, volatility 22.3%VTV: +12.2% a year, volatility 13.7%GLTR: +14.1% a year, volatility 24.7%RTX: +18.7% a year, volatility 24.4%AMGN: +20.1% a year, volatility 24.9%GILD: +22.8% a year, volatility 24.9%GS: +19.4% a year, volatility 28.6%TD: +16.5% a year, volatility 20.0%IHDG: +7.4% a year, volatility 14.9%MS: +16.2% a year, volatility 28.9%VEA: +9.1% a year, volatility 16.9%FLRT: +6.0% a year, volatility 2.3%BFC: +18.7% a year, volatility 27.4%TTE: +18.8% a year, volatility 25.8%PG: +5.8% a year, volatility 18.4%TJX: +19.8% a year, volatility 22.3%MFG: +33.9% a year, volatility 30.6%LIN: +11.7% a year, volatility 20.9%VGT: +18.1% a year, volatility 26.1%SMFG: +34.0% a year, volatility 29.4%UBS: +24.9% a year, volatility 30.4%AWR: +1.2% a year, volatility 22.8%BTI: +19.4% a year, volatility 22.0%PGR: +21.8% a year, volatility 25.7%VRTX: +23.9% a year, volatility 29.1%C: +15.3% a year, volatility 29.4%BAC: +4.0% a year, volatility 26.6%AXP: +13.1% a year, volatility 29.2%MO: +18.3% a year, volatility 21.4%CB: +15.8% a year, volatility 20.4%PH: +26.0% a year, volatility 28.9%CTBI: +14.8% a year, volatility 26.4%CM: +19.5% a year, volatility 21.6%BNY: +22.8% a year, volatility 24.4%DE: +15.1% a year, volatility 29.9%VO: +6.8% a year, volatility 17.6%TRV: +22.4% a year, volatility 22.3%E: +23.7% a year, volatility 25.6%ACN: −4.2% a year, volatility 32.9%SPY (S&P 500): +12.5% a year, volatility 17.2%SAIC: +10.8% a year, volatility 30.8%MSFT: +11.9% a year, volatility 28.2%IBM: +20.1% a year, volatility 30.2%SAP: +12.9% a year, volatility 30.0%CACI: +16.8% a year, volatility 30.0%EXLS: +11.5% a year, volatility 32.7%ADP: +9.6% a year, volatility 23.0%FFIV: +16.7% a year, volatility 30.8%CIBR: +14.5% a year, volatility 26.2%IHAK: +9.0% a year, volatility 25.0%DBX: +4.3% a year, volatility 34.4%CTAS: +17.1% a year, volatility 23.1%NHC: +31.2% a year, volatility 28.6%ABBV: +25.5% a year, volatility 23.4%BRK-A: +13.5% a year, volatility 17.2%JNJ: +13.5% a year, volatility 18.0%LLY: +41.2% a year, volatility 32.8%GLD: +17.1% a year, volatility 19.0%SGOV: +3.8% a year, volatility 0.3%SOJE: −4.5% a year, volatility 14.1%CAH: +41.7% a year, volatility 24.7%ACNSPY (S&P 500)SAICMSFTIBMCACIADPFFIVCIBRIHAKDBXCTASNHCABBVBRK-ALLYGLDSGOVSOJECAH−10.0%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%−10.0%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsMore return, less volatility than ACNHMC: +6.7% a year, volatility 27.5%A: +2.7% a year, volatility 30.6%SJM: +5.2% a year, volatility 25.1%VIG: +10.4% a year, volatility 14.1%RY: +17.5% a year, volatility 18.2%WM: +9.5% a year, volatility 19.3%IVW: +12.6% a year, volatility 21.6%AEP: +12.8% a year, volatility 20.2%FAST: +16.2% a year, volatility 24.6%JAAA: +5.1% a year, volatility 1.7%CASY: +30.8% a year, volatility 29.4%AAPL: +19.1% a year, volatility 28.0%ATO: +15.9% a year, volatility 18.5%XEL: +7.2% a year, volatility 20.9%WCN: +7.4% a year, volatility 20.4%SAFT: +9.9% a year, volatility 28.5%WEC: +7.7% a year, volatility 19.1%OEF: +14.1% a year, volatility 17.8%NI: +15.5% a year, volatility 20.3%DGRW: +11.7% a year, volatility 14.0%AEE: +8.2% a year, volatility 19.4%SPHQ: +11.7% a year, volatility 16.7%VTI: +11.4% a year, volatility 17.5%HSTM: +4.4% a year, volatility 29.4%WMT: +21.1% a year, volatility 22.6%XOM: +27.5% a year, volatility 26.5%JPM: +17.3% a year, volatility 24.3%FTCS: +6.5% a year, volatility 13.3%HSBC: +32.8% a year, volatility 25.9%V: +13.2% a year, volatility 22.9%DXJ: +26.6% a year, volatility 19.1%RLI: +9.2% a year, volatility 24.0%KO: +15.2% a year, volatility 16.8%LVHI: +16.9% a year, volatility 11.1%CVX: +19.7% a year, volatility 25.2%PTLC: +9.3% a year, volatility 11.9%COST: +17.4% a year, volatility 22.9%BALT: +6.2% a year, volatility 3.3%NIC: +19.7% a year, volatility 30.2%VXUS: +8.0% a year, volatility 16.4%MUFG: +33.5% a year, volatility 29.4%MA: +12.7% a year, volatility 23.8%PM: +21.3% a year, volatility 23.4%VRIG: +4.7% a year, volatility 1.3%AOA: +8.4% a year, volatility 13.1%CSCO: +16.9% a year, volatility 26.1%NVS: +17.4% a year, volatility 20.7%CWB: +3.7% a year, volatility 13.8%MRK: +16.1% a year, volatility 24.8%MCK: +37.8% a year, volatility 25.1%PWB: +14.0% a year, volatility 22.3%VTV: +12.2% a year, volatility 13.7%GLTR: +14.1% a year, volatility 24.7%RTX: +18.7% a year, volatility 24.4%AMGN: +20.1% a year, volatility 24.9%GILD: +22.8% a year, volatility 24.9%GS: +19.4% a year, volatility 28.6%TD: +16.5% a year, volatility 20.0%IHDG: +7.4% a year, volatility 14.9%MS: +16.2% a year, volatility 28.9%VEA: +9.1% a year, volatility 16.9%FLRT: +6.0% a year, volatility 2.3%BFC: +18.7% a year, volatility 27.4%TTE: +18.8% a year, volatility 25.8%PG: +5.8% a year, volatility 18.4%TJX: +19.8% a year, volatility 22.3%MFG: +33.9% a year, volatility 30.6%LIN: +11.7% a year, volatility 20.9%VGT: +18.1% a year, volatility 26.1%SMFG: +34.0% a year, volatility 29.4%UBS: +24.9% a year, volatility 30.4%AWR: +1.2% a year, volatility 22.8%BTI: +19.4% a year, volatility 22.0%PGR: +21.8% a year, volatility 25.7%VRTX: +23.9% a year, volatility 29.1%C: +15.3% a year, volatility 29.4%BAC: +4.0% a year, volatility 26.6%AXP: +13.1% a year, volatility 29.2%MO: +18.3% a year, volatility 21.4%CB: +15.8% a year, volatility 20.4%PH: +26.0% a year, volatility 28.9%CTBI: +14.8% a year, volatility 26.4%CM: +19.5% a year, volatility 21.6%BNY: +22.8% a year, volatility 24.4%DE: +15.1% a year, volatility 29.9%VO: +6.8% a year, volatility 17.6%TRV: +22.4% a year, volatility 22.3%E: +23.7% a year, volatility 25.6%ACN: −4.2% a year, volatility 32.9%SPY (S&P 500): +12.5% a year, volatility 17.2%SAIC: +10.8% a year, volatility 30.8%MSFT: +11.9% a year, volatility 28.2%IBM: +20.1% a year, volatility 30.2%SAP: +12.9% a year, volatility 30.0%CACI: +16.8% a year, volatility 30.0%EXLS: +11.5% a year, volatility 32.7%ADP: +9.6% a year, volatility 23.0%FFIV: +16.7% a year, volatility 30.8%CIBR: +14.5% a year, volatility 26.2%IHAK: +9.0% a year, volatility 25.0%DBX: +4.3% a year, volatility 34.4%CTAS: +17.1% a year, volatility 23.1%NHC: +31.2% a year, volatility 28.6%ABBV: +25.5% a year, volatility 23.4%BRK-A: +13.5% a year, volatility 17.2%JNJ: +13.5% a year, volatility 18.0%LLY: +41.2% a year, volatility 32.8%GLD: +17.1% a year, volatility 19.0%SGOV: +3.8% a year, volatility 0.3%SOJE: −4.5% a year, volatility 14.1%CAH: +41.7% a year, volatility 24.7%ACNSPY (S&P 500)IBMCACIEXLSADPFFIVIHAKDBXCTASNHCABBVBRK-ALLYSGOVSOJECAH
  • Popular alternatives
  • Same and neighboring categories, and shared themes
  • The whole market
  • Others in the green region

Is there a better investment than ACN?

Investments that beat ACN over the past 5 years on return, volatility, drawdowns, consistency, crash losses or fees, from its popular alternatives out to the whole market.

How this works

The table below lists investments that beat ACN over the past 5 years on at least one of these measures: a higher annual return with lower volatility, a higher annual return at similar volatility, a similar return with lower volatility, a higher Sharpe ratio with a smaller worst decline, a higher total return in most periods from 3 months to 10 years, or smaller losses in recent market crashes. It checks ACN's popular alternatives first, then the rest of its own and neighboring categories, then every stock and fund worth at least $500 million, and shows the strongest few in each group. The full list of those with a higher return and lower volatility than ACN follows the table.

Annual return is the annualized total return with dividends reinvested. Annual return, volatility and the Sharpe ratio cover 5 years; the worst decline covers the past 10 years. Green marks a better figure than ACN's. "On the frontier" means no other option shown or tested earned more with less volatility. Funds that hold the same thing are shown once. Beyond the popular alternatives, nothing with more than 1.5× ACN's volatility counts as better.

These figures cover the past 5 years. Green marks a better figure than ACN's.

Screen the whole market against ACN for any period in BetterThanSPYOpen these 21 in EasyCompare
InvestmentWhy it is betterPast 5 yearsDownsideLong runFit
Annual return?higher is betterVolatility?lower is calmerSharpe?return per unit of riskWorst decline?past 10 years10Y returntotalCorr. with ACN?lower diversifies moreExpenseper year
ACNAccenture plc · this page
−4.2%32.9%0.04−67.8%+167%1.00—
SPYState Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF · S&P 500
+12.5%17.2%0.78−33.7%+316%0.500.09%
Popular alternativesbest 6 shownThe investments people most often weigh against ACN. 9 of 21 passed at least one test.
SAICScience Applications International Corporation · Business Services
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+10.8%30.8%0.49−45.9%+144%0.22—
MSFTMicrosoft Corporation · Software
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst decline+11.9%28.2%0.54−37.1%+862%0.67—
IBMInternational Business Machines Corporation · IT Services
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst decline+20.1%30.2%0.76−41.1%+163%0.29—
SAPSAP SE · Enterprise Software
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst decline+12.9%30.0%0.56−52.5%+217%0.69—
CACICACI International Inc · Business Services
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst decline+16.8%30.0%0.67−42.9%+512%0.28—
EXLSExlService Holdings, Inc. · IT Services
Higher return, similar volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst decline+11.5%32.7%0.50−51.3%+346%0.67—
Same and neighboring categories, and shared themesbest 6 shownEverything else in IT Consulting & Outsourcing and IT Services and the categories next to it (Enterprise Software, Business Services, Software, Technology Distribution), plus ACN's specific themes. 72 of 217 passed at least one test.
ADPAutomatic Data Processing, Inc. · Business Services
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+9.6%23.0%0.52−40.8%+337%0.63—
FFIVF5, Inc. · Cybersecurity
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+16.7%30.8%0.66−54.6%+279%0.34—
CIBRFirst Trust Nasdaq Cybersecurity ETF · Cybersecurity
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+14.5%26.2%0.65−33.9%+461%0.460.58%
IHAKiShares Cybersecurity and Tech ETF · Cybersecurity
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+9.0%25.0%0.47−34.4%—0.420.47%
DBXDropbox, Inc. · Application Software
Higher return, similar volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+4.3%34.4%0.30−62.6%—0.42—
CTASCintas Corporation · Business Services
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst decline+17.1%23.1%0.80−48.4%+834%0.55—
The whole marketbest 8 shownEvery other stock and fund worth at least $500 million. 2,099 of 3,433 passed at least one test.
NHCNational HealthCare Corporation · Health Care Facilities
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periodsSmaller losses in recent crashes+31.2%28.6%1.10−35.3%+385%0.12—
ABBVAbbVie Inc. · Specialty Pharmaceuticals
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+25.5%23.4%1.09−45.1%+600%0.03—
BRK-ABerkshire Hathaway Inc. · Insurance
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineSmaller losses in recent crashes+13.5%17.2%0.83−30.4%+281%0.23—
JNJJohnson & Johnson · Pharmaceuticals
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineSmaller losses in recent crashes+13.5%18.0%0.80−27.4%+209%0.00—
LLYEli Lilly and Company · Pharmaceuticals
Higher return, similar volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+41.2%32.8%1.22−34.5%+1,870%0.11—
GLDSPDR Gold Shares · Gold
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineSmaller losses in recent crashes+17.1%19.0%0.93−26.4%+206%0.180.40%
SGOViShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF · Treasury Bills
On the frontierHigher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst decline+3.8%0.3%13.25−0.3%—0.060.09%
SOJESouthern Company (The) Series 2 · Junior Subordinated Debt
Similar return, lower volatility−4.5%14.1%-0.26−30.4%—0.29—
What these numbers mean for ACN
Annual return
ACN lost 4.2% a year over the past 5 years with dividends reinvested, against 12.5% a year for the S&P 500. At that pace, $10,000 became about $8,080. Annual return is the steady yearly rate that would produce the same total result, so investments held over the same span compare fairly. Guide: What is performance and return? →
Volatility
ACN's volatility over the past 5 years was 32.9%, about twice the S&P 500's 17.2%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, ACN's return lands within 32.9% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump. Guide: Understanding and measuring risk (volatility) →
Sharpe ratio
ACN's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.04, against 0.78 for the S&P 500, so ACN earned less for each unit of risk than an index fund did. The Sharpe ratio is the return earned above cash for each unit of volatility: two investments with the same return are not equal if one got there with far bigger swings. Guide: Balancing reward with risk (Sharpe ratio) →
Worst decline
ACN's worst fall from a peak to a low over the past 10 years was 67.8%, against 33.7% for the S&P 500. Losses and gains are not symmetric: climbing back from a 67.8% fall takes a 210% gain. Guide: Market crash risk and tail risk →
Correlation
Over the past 5 years, ACN's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.50 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They often move together: some diversification next to an index fund, but not a cushion. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against ACN instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a ACN holding. Guide: Correlation and diversification →
Show all 1,645 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that earned more than ACN with less volatility

Out of 3,641 tested over 5 years. The strongest 100 are listed, best first, with funds that hold the same thing listed once.

#InvestmentFound inAnnual returnVolatilitySharpeWorst decline10Y returnCorr. with ACNExpense
1
NHCNational HealthCare Corporation · Health Care Facilities
Whole market+31.2%28.6%1.10−35.3%+385%0.12—
2
ABBVAbbVie Inc. · Specialty Pharmaceuticals
Whole market+25.5%23.4%1.09−45.1%+600%0.03—
3
BRK-ABerkshire Hathaway Inc. · Insurance
Whole market+13.5%17.2%0.83−30.4%+281%0.23—
4
JNJJohnson & Johnson · Pharmaceuticals
Whole market+13.5%18.0%0.80−27.4%+209%0.00—
5
HMCHonda Motor Co., Ltd. · Automobiles
Whole market+6.7%27.5%0.37−42.0%+64.7%0.26—
6
AAgilent Technologies, Inc. · Life Sciences Tools
Whole market+2.7%30.6%0.24−43.2%+310%0.48—
7
ADPAutomatic Data Processing, Inc. · Business Services
Same or nearby category+9.6%23.0%0.52−40.8%+337%0.63—
8
GLDSPDR Gold Shares · Gold
Whole market+17.1%19.0%0.93−26.4%+206%0.180.40%
9
SJMThe J. M. Smucker Company · Packaged Foods
Whole market+5.2%25.1%0.33−38.1%+41.0%0.08—
10
SGOViShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF · Treasury Bills
Whole market+3.8%0.3%13.25−0.3%—0.060.09%
11
VIGVanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF · Dividend Growth
Whole market+10.4%14.1%0.77−31.7%+258%0.470.04%
12
FFIVF5, Inc. · Cybersecurity
Same or nearby category+16.7%30.8%0.66−54.6%+279%0.34—
13
CIBRFirst Trust Nasdaq Cybersecurity ETF · Cybersecurity
Same or nearby category+14.5%26.2%0.65−33.9%+461%0.460.58%
14
RYRoyal Bank of Canada · Banks
Whole market+17.5%18.2%0.98−40.0%+361%0.13—
15
WMWaste Management, Inc. · Waste Management
Whole market+9.5%19.3%0.57−30.1%+357%0.15—
16
IVWiShares S&P 500 Growth ETF · US Large-Cap Growth
Whole market+12.6%21.6%0.66−32.7%+398%0.460.18%
17
AEPAmerican Electric Power Company, Inc. · Electric Utilities
Whole market+12.8%20.2%0.70−32.9%+192%-0.09—
18
FASTFastenal Company · Industrial Distribution
Whole market+16.2%24.6%0.74−30.7%+582%0.24—
19
JAAAJanus Henderson AAA CLO ETF · AAA CLO Debt
Whole market+5.1%1.7%2.98−2.6%—0.150.20%
20
CASYCasey's General Stores, Inc. · Convenience Stores
Whole market+30.8%29.4%1.06−36.1%+560%0.05—
21
CAHCardinal Health, Inc. · Health Care Distribution
Whole market+41.7%24.7%1.54−46.1%+345%0.05—
22
AAPLApple Inc. · Computer Hardware
Whole market+19.1%28.0%0.77−38.5%+1,194%0.45—
23
ATOAtmos Energy Corporation · Gas Utilities
Whole market+15.9%18.5%0.90−32.9%+207%0.18—
24
SAICScience Applications International Corporation · Business Services
Popular alternative+10.8%30.8%0.49−45.9%+144%0.22—
25
XELXcel Energy Inc. · Electric Utilities
Whole market+7.2%20.9%0.44−34.4%+164%-0.04—
26
WCNWaste Connections, Inc. · Waste Management
Whole market+7.4%20.4%0.45−31.6%+299%0.18—
27
SAFTSafety Insurance Group, Inc. · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+9.9%28.5%0.46−32.8%+134%0.41—
28
WECWEC Energy Group, Inc. · Electric Utilities
Whole market+7.7%19.1%0.49−32.3%+168%0.03—
29
OEFiShares S&P 100 ETF · US Large-Cap Equity
Whole market+14.1%17.8%0.83−31.4%+360%0.520.20%
30
NINiSource Inc · Gas Utilities
Whole market+15.5%20.3%0.81−30.9%+166%0.00—
31
DGRWWisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth Fund · US Dividend Equity
Whole market+11.7%14.0%0.87−32.0%+271%0.500.28%
32
AEEAmeren Corporation · Electric Utilities
Whole market+8.2%19.4%0.50−29.1%+199%0.01—
33
SPHQInvesco S&P 500 Quality ETF · US Quality Equity
Whole market+11.7%16.7%0.75−31.6%+295%0.280.20%
34
IHAKiShares Cybersecurity and Tech ETF · Cybersecurity
Same or nearby category+9.0%25.0%0.47−34.4%—0.420.47%
35
VTIVanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF · US Total Market
Whole market+11.4%17.5%0.71−35.0%+298%0.480.03%
36
HSTMHealthStream, Inc. · Health Care Technology
Whole market+4.4%29.4%0.30−42.7%+31.9%0.17—
37
WMTWalmart Inc. · Discount Retail
Whole market+21.1%22.6%0.97−25.7%+521%0.17—
38
XOMExxonmobil Holdings Corporation · Integrated Oil & Gas
Whole market+27.5%26.5%1.05−61.0%+216%0.14—
39
JPMJPMorgan Chase & Co. · Banks
Whole market+17.3%24.3%0.78−43.6%+534%0.30—
40
FTCSFirst Trust Capital Strength ETF · US Quality Equity
Whole market+6.5%13.3%0.54−31.9%+191%0.540.53%
41
HSBCHSBC Holdings plc · Banks
Whole market+32.8%25.9%1.23−62.3%+314%0.13—
42
VVisa Inc. · Payment Processing
Whole market+13.2%22.9%0.66−36.4%+435%0.39—
43
DXJWisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund · Japan Equity
Whole market+26.6%19.1%1.34−39.1%+415%0.130.48%
44
RLIRLI Corp. · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+9.2%24.0%0.49−43.5%+238%0.10—
45
KOThe Coca-Cola Company · Nonalcoholic Beverages
Whole market+15.2%16.8%0.93−37.0%+205%0.17—
46
LVHIFranklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF · International Dividend Equity
Whole market+16.9%11.1%1.48−32.4%+194%0.260.40%
47
CVXChevron Corporation · Integrated Oil & Gas
Whole market+19.7%25.2%0.84−55.8%+243%0.30—
48
PTLCPacer Trendpilot US Large Cap ETF · Tactical Equity
Whole market+9.3%11.9%0.81−26.6%+185%0.380.60%
49
COSTCostco Wholesale Corporation · Discount Retail
Whole market+17.4%22.9%0.82−31.4%+692%0.38—
50
BALTInnovator Defined Wealth Shield ETF · US Equity Buffer
Whole market+6.2%3.3%1.84−4.9%—0.430.69%
51
NICNicolet Bankshares, Inc. · Regional Banks
Whole market+19.7%30.2%0.75−44.3%+354%0.10—
52
VXUSVanguard Total International Stock ETF · International Equity
Whole market+8.0%16.4%0.56−36.0%+137%0.290.05%
53
MUFGMitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. · Banks
Whole market+33.5%29.4%1.14−54.9%+485%0.12—
54
MAMastercard Incorporated · Payment Processing
Whole market+12.7%23.8%0.62−41.0%+551%0.50—
55
PMPhilip Morris International Inc. · Tobacco
Whole market+21.3%23.4%0.94−42.9%+240%0.11—
56
VRIGInvesco Variable Rate Investment Grade ETF · Investment Grade Bonds
Whole market+4.7%1.3%3.52−13.1%+40.7%0.050.30%
57
AOAiShares Core 80/20 Aggressive Allocation ETF · Balanced Allocation
Whole market+8.4%13.1%0.69−28.4%+163%0.430.19%
58
CSCOCisco Systems, Inc. · Communications Equipment
Whole market+16.9%26.1%0.73−42.0%+361%0.32—
59
NVSNovartis AG · Pharmaceuticals
Whole market+17.4%20.7%0.89−26.8%+234%0.10—
60
CWBState Street SPDR Bloomberg Convertible Securities ETF · Corporate Bonds
Whole market+3.7%13.8%0.33−32.1%+175%0.240.40%
61
MRKMerck & Co., Inc. · Pharmaceuticals
Whole market+16.1%24.8%0.73−43.4%+245%0.07—
62
MCKMcKesson Corporation · Health Care Distribution
Whole market+37.8%25.1%1.41−38.1%+582%0.17—
63
PWBInvesco Large Cap Growth ETF · US Large-Cap Growth
Whole market+14.0%22.3%0.70−32.4%+389%0.290.55%
64
VTVVanguard Morningstar Value ETF · US Large-Cap Value
Whole market+12.2%13.7%0.91−36.8%+237%0.360.03%
65
GLTRabrdn Physical Precious Metals Basket Shares ETF · Precious Metals
Whole market+14.1%24.7%0.66−38.5%+181%0.180.60%
66
RTXRTX Corporation · Aerospace & Defense
Whole market+18.7%24.4%0.83−52.0%+319%0.15—
67
AMGNAmgen Inc. · Biotechnology
Whole market+20.1%24.9%0.86−24.9%+280%0.17—
68
GILDGilead Sciences, Inc. · Biotechnology
Whole market+22.8%24.9%0.95−30.5%+202%0.30—
69
GSThe Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. · Capital Markets
Whole market+19.4%28.6%0.77−48.8%+524%0.38—
70
TDThe Toronto-Dominion Bank · Banks
Whole market+16.5%20.0%0.87−42.0%+319%0.12—
71
IHDGWisdomTree International Hedged Quality Dividend Growth Fund · International Dividend Equity
Whole market+7.4%14.9%0.56−29.2%+163%0.410.58%
72
MSMorgan Stanley · Capital Markets
Whole market+16.2%28.9%0.67−51.3%+630%0.30—
73
VEAVanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF · Developed International Equity
Whole market+9.1%16.9%0.60−35.8%+152%0.320.03%
74
FLRTPacer Aristotle Pacific Floating Rate High Income ETF · Bank Loans
Whole market+6.0%2.3%2.55−20.9%+58.7%0.280.60%
75
BFCBank First Corporation · Regional Banks
Whole market+18.7%27.4%0.76−39.8%+485%0.15—
76
TTETotalEnergies SE · Integrated Oil & Gas
Whole market+18.8%25.8%0.80−59.6%+237%0.14—
77
PGThe Procter & Gamble Company · Household & Personal Products
Whole market+5.8%18.4%0.40−23.8%+156%0.10—
78
TJXThe TJX Companies, Inc. · Apparel Retail
Whole market+19.8%22.3%0.93−42.5%+357%0.23—
79
MFGMizuho Financial Group, Inc. · Banks
Whole market+33.9%30.6%1.11−45.7%+343%0.08—
80
LINLinde plc · Chemicals
Whole market+11.7%20.9%0.64−32.6%+404%0.20—
81
VGTVanguard Information Technology ETF · Technology Equity
Whole market+18.1%26.1%0.77−35.1%+753%0.390.09%
82
SMFGSumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. · Banks
Whole market+34.0%29.4%1.15−47.6%+470%0.03—
83
UBSUBS Group AG · Banks
Whole market+24.9%30.4%0.89−59.8%+363%0.33—
84
AWRAmerican States Water Company · Water Utilities
Whole market+1.2%22.8%0.17−32.8%+171%0.36—
85
BTIBritish American Tobacco p.l.c. · Tobacco
Whole market+19.4%22.0%0.92−56.1%+110%-0.01—
86
PGRThe Progressive Corporation · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+21.8%25.7%0.90−30.3%+849%0.00—
87
VRTXVertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated · Rare Disease Therapeutics
Whole market+23.9%29.1%0.89−41.6%+580%0.09—
88
CCitigroup Inc. · Banks
Whole market+15.3%29.4%0.63−56.5%+234%0.11—
89
BACBank of America Corporation · Banks
Whole market+4.0%26.6%0.28−49.0%+281%0.28—
90
AXPAmerican Express Company · Consumer Finance
Whole market+13.1%29.2%0.57−49.6%+455%0.29—
91
MOAltria Group, Inc. · Tobacco
Whole market+18.3%21.4%0.90−53.7%+133%-0.12—
92
CBChubb Limited · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+15.8%20.4%0.82−42.6%+256%0.05—
93
PHParker-Hannifin Corporation · Industrial Machinery
Whole market+26.0%28.9%0.95−54.7%+755%0.23—
94
CTBICommunity Trust Bancorp, Inc. · Regional Banks
Whole market+14.8%26.4%0.66−43.0%+177%0.19—
95
CMCanadian Imperial Bank of Commerce · Banks
Whole market+19.5%21.6%0.94−47.3%+409%0.16—
96
BNYBank of New York Mellon Corp · Banks
Whole market+22.8%24.4%0.97−50.5%+332%0.35—
97
DEDeere & Company · Industrial Machinery
Whole market+15.1%29.9%0.62−37.9%+764%0.00—
98
VOVanguard Morningstar Mid-Cap ETF · US Mid-Cap Equity
Whole market+6.8%17.6%0.46−39.4%+199%0.400.03%
99
TRVThe Travelers Companies, Inc. · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+22.4%22.3%1.02−46.3%+360%0.12—
100
EEni S.p.A. · Integrated Oil & Gas
Whole market+23.7%25.6%0.96−61.4%+283%0.21—

ACN against its popular alternatives

The investments people most often weigh against ACN, compared period by period and year by year.

How do ACN's risk and return compare with its alternatives?

This map plots each investment's annual return over the past 5 years against its volatility, the size of its typical price swings. Investments toward the upper left earned more for a smoother ride, and those toward the lower right earned less for a rougher one. The dashed lines cross at ACN, which divides the map into what did better or worse on each measure.

Green points earned more than ACN with less volatility; red points earned less with more. Hover over a point for its figures. Total returns with dividends reinvested, annualized.

10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%−40.0%−30.0%−20.0%−10.0%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsHigher return, lower volatilityLower return, higher volatilityACN: −4.2% a year, volatility 32.9%SPY (S&P 500): 12.5% a year, volatility 17.2%SAIC: 10.8% a year, volatility 30.8%CACI: 16.8% a year, volatility 30.0%MSFT: 11.9% a year, volatility 28.2%EXLS: 11.5% a year, volatility 32.7%LDOS: 7.1% a year, volatility 27.9%SAP: 12.9% a year, volatility 30.0%CTSH: 0.3% a year, volatility 30.4%IBM: 20.1% a year, volatility 30.2%G: −2.4% a year, volatility 30.5%TASK: −25.8% a year, volatility 65.1%WIT: −13.2% a year, volatility 33.3%KD: −17.9% a year, volatility 58.1%DXC: −14.2% a year, volatility 47.3%EPAM: −26.5% a year, volatility 56.1%HCKT: −7.8% a year, volatility 35.1%GLOB: −31.6% a year, volatility 53.2%CNXC: −27.1% a year, volatility 52.2%NOW: 2.7% a year, volatility 45.6%ORCL: 6.5% a year, volatility 44.3%CRM: −2.7% a year, volatility 39.5%INFY: −8.0% a year, volatility 29.8%ACNSPY (S&P 500)SAICCACILDOSSAPCTSHIBMGTASKWITKDDXCEPAMHCKTGLOBCNXCNOWORCLCRMINFY10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%−40.0%−30.0%−20.0%−10.0%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsHigher return, lower volatilityLower return, higher volatilityACN: −4.2% a year, volatility 32.9%SPY (S&P 500): 12.5% a year, volatility 17.2%SAIC: 10.8% a year, volatility 30.8%CACI: 16.8% a year, volatility 30.0%MSFT: 11.9% a year, volatility 28.2%EXLS: 11.5% a year, volatility 32.7%LDOS: 7.1% a year, volatility 27.9%SAP: 12.9% a year, volatility 30.0%CTSH: 0.3% a year, volatility 30.4%IBM: 20.1% a year, volatility 30.2%G: −2.4% a year, volatility 30.5%TASK: −25.8% a year, volatility 65.1%WIT: −13.2% a year, volatility 33.3%KD: −17.9% a year, volatility 58.1%DXC: −14.2% a year, volatility 47.3%EPAM: −26.5% a year, volatility 56.1%HCKT: −7.8% a year, volatility 35.1%GLOB: −31.6% a year, volatility 53.2%CNXC: −27.1% a year, volatility 52.2%NOW: 2.7% a year, volatility 45.6%ORCL: 6.5% a year, volatility 44.3%CRM: −2.7% a year, volatility 39.5%INFY: −8.0% a year, volatility 29.8%ACNSPY (S&P 500)CACILDOSCTSHIBMGTASKWITKDDXCEPAMHCKTGLOBNOWORCLCRMINFY
All figures
InvestmentAnnual returnVolatility
IBM International Business Machines Corporation+20.1%30.2%
CACI CACI International Inc+16.8%30.0%
SAP SAP SE+12.9%30.0%
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF+12.5%17.2%
MSFT Microsoft Corporation+11.9%28.2%
EXLS ExlService Holdings, Inc.+11.5%32.7%
SAIC Science Applications International Corporation+10.8%30.8%
LDOS Leidos Holdings, Inc.+7.1%27.9%
ORCL Oracle Corporation+6.5%44.3%
NOW ServiceNow, Inc.+2.7%45.6%
CTSH Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation+0.3%30.4%
G Genpact Limited−2.4%30.5%
CRM Salesforce, Inc.−2.7%39.5%
ACN This pageAccenture plc−4.2%32.9%
HCKT The Hackett Group, Inc.−7.8%35.1%
INFY Infosys Limited−8.0%29.8%
WIT Wipro Limited−13.2%33.3%
DXC DXC Technology Company−14.2%47.3%
KD Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.−17.9%58.1%
TASK TaskUs, Inc.−25.8%65.1%
EPAM EPAM Systems, Inc.−26.5%56.1%
CNXC Concentrix Corporation−27.1%52.2%
GLOB Globant S.A.−31.6%53.2%
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Has ACN consistently beaten its popular alternatives?

This section compares ACN with the investments people most often weigh against it, checking each one over eight periods from one month to ten years. Counting how often an alternative earned more than ACN helps separate lasting outperformance from a single strong stretch.

A green cell means the alternative earned more than ACN over that period. "Qualified" marks those that did so in at least 3 of 5 short-term periods and 2 of 3 long-term periods.

InvestmentPeriods outperformed Short termLong termRisk · 5 yearsFund
1M3M6MYTD1Y3Y5Y10YVolatilitylower is calmerSharpehigher is betterWorst declinepast 10 yearsExpenseAssetsOverlapsame sectors
ACN Accenture plc (this page)—+42.0%+86.2%+38.8%+3.0%+7.5%−5.8%−19.2%+167%32.9%0.04−67.8%—$158B—
SAIC QualifiedScience Applications International Corporation3/5 short2/3 long+11.0%+24.1%+50.9%+43.7%+48.3%+37.6%+67.3%+144%30.8%0.49−45.9%—$6.0B—
NOW Software - ApplicationServiceNow, Inc.2/5 short3/3 long+14.6%+64.5%+52.3%+6.5%−16.1%+45.0%+14.3%+869%45.6%0.29−64.5%—$162B—
CACI Information Technology ServicesCACI International Inc2/5 short3/3 long+1.0%+32.5%+20.9%+15.2%+19.0%+91.6%+117%+512%30.0%0.67−42.9%—$14B—
MSFT Software - InfrastructureMicrosoft Corporation1/5 short3/3 long+4.6%+33.7%+20.9%+10.9%+0.9%+61.9%+75.6%+862%28.2%0.54−37.1%—$3.9T—
EXLS Information Technology ServicesExlService Holdings, Inc.1/5 short3/3 long+22.5%+59.9%+35.8%+4.1%+3.9%+68.4%+72.6%+346%32.7%0.50−51.3%—$6.5B—
ORCL Software - InfrastructureOracle Corporation0/5 short3/3 long−15.6%+0.1%−32.6%−35.0%−53.4%+25.4%+36.7%+281%44.3%0.36−64.6%—$380B—
LDOS Information Technology ServicesLeidos Holdings, Inc.0/5 short3/3 long+9.3%+26.0%−10.0%−25.9%−27.7%+51.6%+40.7%+269%27.9%0.39−49.5%—$17B—
CRM Software - ApplicationSalesforce, Inc.0/5 short3/3 long+7.3%+53.8%+32.4%−0.6%−1.6%+26.3%−12.8%+240%39.5%0.13−58.7%—$206B—
SAP Software - ApplicationSAP SE0/5 short3/3 long+14.2%+61.7%+40.0%+2.8%−11.8%+88.3%+83.7%+217%30.0%0.56−52.5%—$280B—
CTSH Information Technology ServicesCognizant Technology Solutions Corporation1/5 short2/3 long+25.6%+71.7%+27.0%−7.7%+10.3%+19.7%+1.7%+67.8%30.4%0.16−56.1%—$33B—
IBM Information Technology ServicesInternational Business Machines Corporation0/5 short2/3 long+9.0%+23.4%+1.6%−11.8%−10.0%+103%+150%+163%30.2%0.76−41.1%—$238B—
G Information Technology ServicesGenpact Limited0/5 short2/3 long+23.3%+40.0%+16.6%−7.5%+7.1%+27.8%−11.6%+98.5%30.5%0.07−49.5%—$7.1B—
TASK Information Technology ServicesTaskUs, Inc.1/5 short1/3 long+0.5%+48.5%+24.9%+16.8%−3.9%+54.6%−77.5%—65.1%-0.14−91.6%—$797M—
WIT Information Technology ServicesWipro Limited0/5 short1/3 long+29.6%+22.3%+4.8%−24.2%−18.6%+1.9%−50.8%+31.1%33.3%-0.26−65.4%—$22B—
KD Information Technology ServicesKyndryl Holdings, Inc.0/5 short1/3 long+26.0%+30.5%+6.4%−40.4%−46.3%+6.1%−62.7%—58.1%-0.02−79.8%—$3.3B—
DXC Information Technology ServicesDXC Technology Company3/5 short0/3 long+47.1%+70.9%+25.4%+14.2%+21.2%−17.5%−53.5%−65.0%47.3%-0.08−92.0%—$2.6B—
INFY Information Technology ServicesInfosys Limited0/5 short0/3 long+22.9%+21.0%+0.2%−25.6%−21.5%−13.4%−34.0%+116%29.8%-0.13−54.4%—$54B—
EPAM Information Technology ServicesEPAM Systems, Inc.0/5 short0/3 long+24.3%+60.2%+7.4%−30.8%−11.4%−37.6%−78.6%+107%56.1%-0.25−89.4%—$7.2B—
HCKT Information Technology ServicesThe Hackett Group, Inc.0/5 short0/3 long+21.0%+35.5%−6.6%−33.3%−30.8%−38.3%−33.3%−1.9%35.1%-0.05−70.5%—$314M—
GLOB Information Technology ServicesGlobant S.A.0/5 short0/3 long+30.8%+49.3%−4.1%−27.4%−23.2%−74.4%−85.0%−2.9%53.2%-0.44−92.2%—$2.0B—
CNXC Information Technology ServicesConcentrix Corporation0/5 short0/3 long+12.3%+45.7%+21.9%−13.6%−24.1%−51.3%−79.5%—52.2%-0.35−88.9%—$2.1B—
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How did ACN do year by year?

This table shows each investment's total return in every full calendar year since 2002, along with where ACN ranked among its popular alternatives each year. Annual results reveal how consistently each one kept pace with ACN and how far its good and bad years diverged, detail that multiyear averages tend to smooth over.

Newest year first. Green marks a year in which the fund came out ahead of ACN; gray means the two finished within a fraction of a point. The rank row places ACN among the alternatives that traded the full year; dark green is the top quarter and red the bottom quarter.

InvestmentYears ahead of ACN202520242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002
ACN This pageAccenture plc—−22.1%+1.9%+33.6%−34.8%+60.7%+26.0%+51.2%−6.2%+33.3%+14.3%+20.8%+11.4%+26.6%+27.7%+12.0%+19.1%+29.0%−7.5%−1.4%+29.3%+8.3%+2.6%+46.3%−33.2%
Rank among alternativesTop quarter in 3 of 2416 of 2217 of 228 of 2215 of 225 of 209 of 198 of 1911 of 197 of 197 of 1911 of 1910 of 1812 of 175 of 152 of 157 of 1512 of 153 of 159 of 145 of 124 of 1210 of 114 of 118 of 11
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF9 of 24+17.7%+24.9%+26.2%−18.2%+28.7%+18.3%+31.2%−4.6%+21.7%+12.0%+1.2%+13.5%+32.3%+16.0%+1.9%+15.1%+26.4%−36.8%+5.1%+15.9%+4.8%+10.7%+28.2%−21.6%
SAIC Science Applications International Corporation4 of 12−8.7%−9.0%+13.6%+34.9%−10.2%+10.8%+39.1%−15.5%−8.2%+89.5%−5.3%+54.0%————————————
NOW ServiceNow, Inc.9 of 13−27.8%+50.0%+82.0%−40.2%+17.9%+95.0%+58.6%+36.5%+75.4%−14.1%+27.6%+21.2%+86.4%———————————
CACI CACI International Inc11 of 24+31.9%+24.8%+7.7%+11.7%+8.0%−0.3%+73.6%+8.8%+6.5%+34.0%+7.7%+17.7%+33.1%−1.6%+4.7%+9.3%+8.3%+0.7%−20.8%−1.5%−15.8%+40.1%+36.4%−9.8%
MSFT Microsoft Corporation16 of 24+15.6%+12.9%+58.2%−28.0%+52.5%+42.5%+57.6%+20.8%+40.8%+15.1%+22.7%+27.5%+44.3%+5.8%−4.5%−6.5%+60.5%−44.4%+20.8%+15.8%−1.0%+9.2%+6.2%−22.0%
EXLS ExlService Holdings, Inc.7 of 19−4.4%+43.9%−9.0%+17.1%+70.0%+22.6%+32.0%−12.8%+19.6%+12.2%+56.6%+4.0%+4.2%+18.6%+4.0%+18.5%+112%−63.0%+9.7%—————
ORCL Oracle Corporation12 of 24+18.1%+60.0%+30.9%−4.7%+36.9%+24.3%+19.4%−3.0%+24.9%+6.9%−17.6%+19.0%+15.7%+31.8%−17.5%+28.6%+39.4%−21.4%+31.7%+40.4%−11.0%+3.6%+22.6%−21.8%
LDOS Leidos Holdings, Inc.9 of 19+26.5%+34.5%+4.5%+20.0%−14.2%+8.9%+88.8%−16.7%+28.4%+27.0%+35.0%−3.2%+64.2%−5.3%−22.5%−16.3%−2.8%−3.2%+13.1%—————
CRM Salesforce, Inc.13 of 21−20.2%+27.8%+98.5%−47.8%+14.2%+36.8%+18.7%+34.0%+49.3%−12.7%+32.2%+7.5%+31.3%+65.8%−23.2%+79.0%+130%−49.0%+72.0%+13.7%+88.9%———
SAP SAP SE8 of 24−0.4%+61.3%+52.3%−24.2%+9.2%−1.3%+36.4%−10.0%+31.7%+11.1%+15.3%−18.6%+10.0%+55.8%+6.0%+9.8%+31.4%−28.0%−2.6%+18.7%+2.8%+7.0%+114%−38.7%
CTSH Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation11 of 24+9.7%+3.5%+34.4%−34.5%+9.6%+33.9%−1.1%−9.7%+27.6%−6.7%+14.0%+4.3%+36.7%+14.8%−12.2%+61.7%+151%−46.8%−12.0%+53.4%+18.9%+85.3%+89.7%+75.8%
IBM International Business Machines Corporation8 of 24+38.2%+39.3%+21.9%+10.6%+16.6%−1.2%+23.6%−22.6%−4.9%+25.2%−11.4%−12.4%−0.2%+5.9%+27.4%+14.2%+58.7%−20.8%+12.8%+19.8%−15.8%+7.2%+20.5%−35.4%
G Genpact Limited6 of 18+10.5%+25.8%−24.0%−11.7%+29.5%−0.9%+57.6%−14.1%+31.6%−2.6%+32.0%+3.0%+18.6%+17.8%−1.6%+2.1%+81.4%−46.1%——————
TASK TaskUs, Inc.1 of 4−30.4%+29.6%−22.6%−68.7%————————————————————
WIT Wipro Limited11 of 24−16.6%+27.7%+20.0%−51.9%+73.1%+50.9%−1.7%−5.8%+13.2%−15.2%+3.7%−9.5%+68.0%−3.9%−26.1%+23.9%+195%−40.5%+2.9%+49.3%+2.8%+77.0%+45.3%−7.7%
KD Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.2 of 4−23.2%+66.5%+86.9%−38.6%————————————————————
DXC DXC Technology Company10 of 24−26.7%−12.6%−13.7%−17.7%+25.0%−30.1%−27.9%−43.5%+85.7%+84.0%+24.9%+14.5%+41.7%+73.4%−51.1%−12.8%+63.7%−29.0%−7.3%+5.4%−10.2%+27.5%+28.4%−29.6%
INFY Infosys Limited13 of 24−16.4%+23.1%+4.8%−27.3%+51.9%+68.3%+11.8%+21.8%+12.3%−9.6%+9.0%+13.6%+36.3%−15.8%−31.7%+40.4%+128%−45.0%−16.2%+36.9%+17.2%+47.6%+38.1%+11.7%
EPAM EPAM Systems, Inc.9 of 13−12.4%−21.4%−9.3%−51.0%+86.5%+68.9%+82.9%+8.0%+67.0%−18.2%+64.6%+36.7%+93.0%———————————
HCKT The Hackett Group, Inc.9 of 24−34.7%+37.3%+14.2%+1.5%+45.9%−8.8%+3.1%+4.0%−9.3%+11.9%+86.6%+43.3%+47.8%+17.2%+6.6%+26.1%−4.7%−39.7%+57.6%−27.7%−8.8%−15.8%+122%−61.8%
GLOB Globant S.A.6 of 11−69.5%−9.9%+41.5%−46.5%+44.3%+105%+88.3%+21.2%+39.3%−11.1%+140%—————————————
CNXC Concentrix Corporation3 of 5−1.4%−55.0%−25.4%−24.9%+81.2%———————————————————
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Risk and diversification

How ACN has fallen, how it held up in crashes beside the S&P 500 and its popular alternatives, and what moves independently of it.

What were ACN's worst declines?

A drawdown is the decline from a peak to the lowest point before a new high. This section presents ACN's five deepest drawdowns since it began trading in 2001, alongside the S&P 500's return over the same dates, and how long each took to recover. Together, these figures show how much an investor could have lost and how long it took to get back to even.

Green means ACN fell less than the S&P 500 over the same dates. Based on daily closing prices with dividends reinvested.

DuringACN fellS&P 500, same datesPeakLowTime to the lowBack at the peakTime to recover
No named crash−67.8%+25.7%Feb 2025Jun 202616 monthsNot yet—
Dot-com bust−59.2%−30.3%Mar 2002Oct 20027 monthsJan 20063.3 years
2022 bear market−39.7%−17.2%Dec 2021Mar 202315 monthsFeb 202523 months
2008 financial crisis−37.5%−42.5%Jul 2007Apr 200921 monthsDec 20098 months
Covid crash−33.5%−33.7%Feb 2020Mar 20201 monthJun 20203 months

How did ACN do in stock market crashes?

This section measures how far ACN, the S&P 500 and each alternative fell from peak to trough during every major market crash since 2000. A smaller decline means an investment held up better, and comparing results across crashes shows whether that resilience was consistent or a one-off.

Note: ACN began trading on July 19, 2001, so its row reads "Not yet trading" for the dot-com bust. The older alternatives and the S&P 500 show how those crashes played out.

Newest crash first. Each figure is the fund's deepest fall within the crash window; green means a smaller fall than ACN.

InvestmentHeld up better2023 regional bank crisisMar 20232022 bear marketJan 2022Covid crashFeb 2020Late-2018 sell-offSep 2018February 2018 volatility shockFeb 20182015 China and oil sell-offAug 20152011 euro debt crisisJul 20112010 flash crashMay 20102008 financial crisisOct 2007Dot-com bustMar 2000
ACN This pageAccenture plc—−4.7%−37.3%−33.5%−22.6%−4.1%−14.9%−22.7%−1.9%−35.7%Not yet trading
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF5 of 9−3.4%−24.5%−33.7%−19.3%−6.5%−12.8%−17.9%−1.5%−55.2%−47.5%
SAIC Science Applications International Corporation2 of 6−2.6%−15.4%−45.9%−27.7%−9.3%−24.1%————
NOW ServiceNow, Inc.2 of 6−7.2%−39.9%−28.8%−20.6%−8.5%−47.6%————
CACI CACI International Inc5 of 9−3.4%−18.9%−41.4%−26.0%−3.0%−21.9%−24.0%0.0%−30.0%−43.5%
MSFT Microsoft Corporation6 of 9−2.0%−31.0%−27.7%−18.2%−7.4%−14.4%−14.1%−2.6%−57.9%−62.9%
EXLS ExlService Holdings, Inc.4 of 9−5.4%−21.3%−46.2%−26.4%−5.6%−13.3%−18.9%0.0%−80.9%—
ORCL Oracle Corporation3 of 9−5.0%−31.0%−28.3%−17.2%−6.6%−16.1%−23.9%−2.1%−41.1%−84.2%
LDOS Leidos Holdings, Inc.4 of 9−1.9%−19.8%−40.9%−27.2%−6.4%−30.5%−31.7%0.0%−20.9%—
CRM Salesforce, Inc.0 of 9−5.3%−42.7%−35.7%−24.8%−6.1%−34.2%−26.9%−4.2%−70.5%—
SAP SAP SE4 of 9−2.0%−41.9%−32.6%−25.0%−6.9%−13.3%−25.0%−1.4%−49.6%−87.9%
CTSH Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation1 of 9−5.8%−38.6%−40.6%−22.4%−3.2%−25.3%−26.7%−2.5%−65.5%−71.3%
IBM International Business Machines Corporation3 of 9−2.0%−16.7%−37.3%−29.1%−6.3%−23.3%−14.6%−1.5%−44.3%−58.3%
G Genpact Limited3 of 9−4.9%−28.0%−48.4%−15.9%−5.6%−9.9%−22.3%−2.9%−61.7%—
TASK TaskUs, Inc.0 of 2−11.5%−72.4%————————
WIT Wipro Limited2 of 9−2.6%−52.6%−33.0%−8.6%−6.8%−14.6%−29.6%−1.5%−66.0%—
KD Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.0 of 2−7.1%−56.2%————————
DXC DXC Technology Company1 of 9−11.2%−39.9%−69.4%−47.9%−7.0%−18.1%−30.9%−1.4%−58.8%−74.6%
INFY Infosys Limited3 of 9−4.9%−35.9%−39.1%−12.7%−3.6%−17.3%−25.9%−0.6%−60.9%−90.0%
EPAM EPAM Systems, Inc.0 of 6−8.5%−71.8%−33.3%−23.1%−7.8%−29.6%————
HCKT The Hackett Group, Inc.2 of 9−5.0%−27.7%−46.1%−30.3%−4.8%−32.8%−34.2%0.0%−70.1%−94.9%
GLOB Globant S.A.1 of 6−9.3%−40.5%−45.5%−20.4%−4.9%−38.5%————
CNXC Concentrix Corporation0 of 2−9.8%−46.5%————————
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How closely does ACN move with the S&P 500?

Upside capture measures how much of the S&P 500's gains an investment kept in the months the market rose, and downside capture how much of its losses it took in the months the market fell. An investment that captures more of the gains than the losses has compounded ahead of the market over time. This section compares ACN with its popular alternatives on both measures, and on beta (how strongly each has moved with the market), over the past 10 years.

Monthly total returns over the past 10 years, measured against SPY. 100% capture or a beta of 1.00 means moving in line with the S&P 500. Green marks a better figure than ACN's: more upside, less downside or a higher capture ratio. Sorted by capture ratio.

InvestmentUpside captureDownside captureCapture ratioBeta
ACN This pageAccenture plc117%186%0.631.12
CACI CACI International Inc94%62%1.500.79
NOW ServiceNow, Inc.114%79%1.450.97
MSFT Microsoft Corporation127%91%1.390.96
SAIC Science Applications International Corporation44%36%1.220.59
LDOS Leidos Holdings, Inc.78%73%1.060.73
EXLS ExlService Holdings, Inc.99%109%0.900.90
ORCL Oracle Corporation131%159%0.821.30
CRM Salesforce, Inc.115%143%0.801.16
SAP SAP SE112%152%0.741.10
IBM International Business Machines Corporation89%121%0.730.95
INFY Infosys Limited85%126%0.670.90
G Genpact Limited90%146%0.610.99
CTSH Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation89%152%0.590.99
EPAM EPAM Systems, Inc.156%263%0.591.41
WIT Wipro Limited62%122%0.510.82
GLOB Globant S.A.91%188%0.481.16
HCKT The Hackett Group, Inc.51%119%0.430.85
DXC DXC Technology Company99%276%0.361.59
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What diversifies ACN?

Correlation measures how closely two investments move together, on a scale from 1 (in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to -1 (in opposite directions). This section lists large ETFs and stocks whose returns have had a low correlation with ACN's. Because such investments tend not to fall at the same time, pairing ACN with them can reduce a portfolio's overall swings.

Only ETFs with at least $1.0B in assets and stocks worth at least $10B, with a correlation below 0.5 over the past 5 years and a positive return, are included, ranked by Sharpe ratio; funds that hold the same thing are shown once. The year columns are the years in which ACN lost money. The last two columns show a portfolio that is 80% ACN and 20% the other investment, rebalanced monthly.

ETFs

InvestmentCorrelation5Y returnSharpe20252022201820082007200280/20 mix volatility80/20 mix annual return
ACN Accenture plc (this page)1.00−19.2%0.04−22.1%−34.8%−6.2%−7.5%−1.4%−33.2%35.2%−8.8%
LVHI InternationalFranklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF0.26+119%1.48+27.1%+3.8%−5.2%———28.7%−3.2%
DXJ InternationalWisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund0.13+225%1.34+32.8%+6.0%−19.8%−20.8%−7.4%—28.6%−1.4%
EMLP Broad MarketFirst Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund0.19+103%1.06+9.7%+10.4%−8.7%———28.9%−3.3%
HDV Dividend & IncomeiShares Core High Dividend ETF0.33+86.8%1.03+11.9%+7.0%−3.0%———29.2%−4.0%
DBEF InternationalXtrackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity ETF0.32+83.6%0.95+23.1%−5.1%−9.5%———28.9%−3.8%
SMH TechnologyVanEck Semiconductor ETF0.14+304%0.94+49.2%−33.5%−9.1%−44.7%+6.0%−47.0%29.9%+0.8%
XLE EnergyState Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF0.20+178%0.94+7.9%+64.4%−18.2%−39.0%+36.8%−14.8%29.7%−1.9%
GLD CommoditiesSPDR Gold Shares0.18+120%0.93+63.7%−0.8%−1.9%+4.9%+30.4%—29.0%−2.9%

Stocks

InvestmentCorrelation5Y returnSharpe20252022201820082007200280/20 mix volatility80/20 mix annual return
ACN Accenture plc (this page)1.00−19.2%0.04−22.1%−34.8%−6.2%−7.5%−1.4%−33.2%35.2%−8.8%
CAH Medical - DistributionCardinal Health, Inc.0.05+471%1.54+76.3%+54.1%−24.5%−39.6%−9.8%−8.3%28.9%+0.7%
CLS Hardware, Equipment & PartsCelestica Inc.0.11+2,780%1.43+220%+1.3%−16.3%−20.5%−25.7%−65.1%31.7%+11.5%
MCK Medical - DistributionMcKesson Corporation0.17+397%1.41+44.5%+51.8%−28.4%−40.4%+29.7%−27.2%29.4%0.0%
FIX Engineering & ConstructionComfort Systems USA, Inc.0.02+1,452%1.41+121%+17.0%+0.8%−15.2%+2.1%−9.4%29.7%+8.3%
MPC Oil & Gas Refining & MarketingMarathon Petroleum Corporation0.21+660%1.39+19.2%+86.6%−8.2%———30.2%+2.2%
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Common questions

What was ACN's worst drawdown?

ACN's deepest decline since it began trading in 2001 was 67.8%, from February 2025 to June 2026. It has not yet climbed back to that peak.

What were ACN's best and worst years?

Over 24 full calendar years, ACN's best year was 2021, when it returned 60.7%. Its worst was 2022, with a return of -34.8%.

Is there a better investment than ACN?

Among ACN's popular alternatives, SAIC, MSFT and IBM earned more than ACN with less volatility over the past 5 years. SAIC returned 10.8% a year at 30.8% volatility, against a loss of 4.2% a year at 32.9%. Looking beyond its popular alternatives, ADP (business services) and FFIV (cybersecurity) earned more than ACN with less volatility over the past 5 years. ADP returned 9.6% a year at 23.0% volatility, against a loss of 4.2% a year at 32.9%.

Is ACN more volatile than the S&P 500?

Yes. ACN's volatility over the past 5 years was 32.9%, about twice the S&P 500's 17.2%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, ACN's return lands within 32.9% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump.

What is ACN's Sharpe ratio?

ACN's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.04, against 0.78 for the S&P 500, so ACN earned less for each unit of risk than an index fund did. The Sharpe ratio is the return earned above cash for each unit of volatility: two investments with the same return are not equal if one got there with far bigger swings.

How correlated is ACN with the S&P 500?

Over the past 5 years, ACN's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.50 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They often move together: some diversification next to an index fund, but not a cushion. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against ACN instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a ACN holding.

What are the best alternatives to ACN?

Of the 21 popular alternatives we compared, one outperformed ACN in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes, with dividends reinvested: SAIC.

Did ACN outperform the S&P 500?

ACN finished ahead of the S&P 500 (SPY) in 15 of 24 full calendar years. In 2025, it returned -22.1%, against +17.7% for the index.

How did ACN do in stock market crashes?

ACN fell less than the S&P 500 (SPY) in two of the nine major crashes it has traded through, and further in five. The clearest case was the 2022 bear market, when ACN fell 37.3% and the S&P 500 fell 24.5%.

What diversifies ACN?

These had a low correlation with ACN over the past 5 years and still earned a positive 5-year return: among large ETFs, LVHI (correlation 0.26), DXJ (correlation 0.13) and EMLP (correlation 0.19); among large stocks, CAH (correlation 0.05), CLS (correlation 0.11) and MCK (correlation 0.17). A correlation near zero means the two have moved largely independently.

How we measure

More research

Popular alternatives to ACN

Other stocks and ETFs