Back to top

Image: Bigstock

QBTS Vs ACN: Find Out Which AI-Driven Tech Stock Has More Upside

Read MoreHide Full Article

While D-Wave Quantum Inc. (QBTS - Free Report) focuses on quantum computing solutions with AI applications, Accenture (ACN - Free Report) tries to disrupt consulting and technology services by integrating AI. Both companies demonstrate a strong strategic inclination toward leveraging AI within their operations and establishing themselves as eminent entities in their respective domains.

Amid the current storm of AI, growth investors interested in this technology may find value in comparing these two organizations to assess their potential.

The Case for D-Wave Quantum

QBTS gained huge attention while demonstrating its quantum computational prowess with its Advantage2 prototype. It solved complicated magnetic material problems extremely faster than the world’s most powerful classical supercomputers. At the Qubits 2025 conference, the company showcased its partnerships, including the drug discovery project with Japan Tobacco’s pharmaceutical division and Ford Otosan’s automotive applications. During the drug discovery project, QBTS supported Japan Tobacco to enhance AI models using quantum computing. This highlighted D-Wave Quantum’s practical usage.

QBTS leverages the quantum annealing process, which is well-suited for solving complex problems. By using this process to optimize weights in a neural network, D-Wave Quantum can train more complex models and achieve better performance. It means that this technology does not stop just in areas like drug discovery but can also provide insights into material sciences, logistics and other domains.

D-Wave Quantum is cost-effective since it avoids the potential costly cycles of iterative model training and incremental construction of the solution while delivering a more accurate model and easier interpretation. The “one-shot” solution provides QBTS an edge over the classical alternative like recursive feature elimination. In terms of financial performance, QBTS reported revenues of $8.8 million in fiscal 2024, flat with the preceding year. However, bookings soared 128% from the previous year, hinting at revenue growth in the future.

The Case for Accenture

ACN’s technological advancements support its growth strategy that focuses on providing 360-degree value to its stakeholders. One of the most prominent technologies that the company leverages is AI. Accenture’s position within the GenAI market has been solidified post-OpenAI and Sanctuary AI partnerships. Collaborators as such provide the company with access to valuable AI models and solutions, assisting it in developing tailored solutions that address specific enterprise needs.

In fiscal 2024, ACN witnessed $3 billion in GenAI-related bookings and $1.4 billion in the second quarter of fiscal 2025. Accenture’s ability to gain a technical upper hand over subscale players utilizing its ability to reallocate resources helps it to dominate in the GenAI field. The GenAI market is expected to grow, seeing a CAGR of 37.6% from 2025 to 2030, providing the company with ample room for growth.

Clients aim to improve operational efficiency and lower costs by leveraging advanced technologies, including data analytics, AI and automation. These priorities fuel a steady rise in demand for ACN’s managed services offerings across the globe. Within the public and private sectors, Accenture finds itself very appealing due to its ability to deliver scalable and outcome-driven solutions. This led to an increase in managed services revenues by 4% year over year in fiscal 2024 and 8% in the second quarter of fiscal 2025. The momentum is anticipated to sustain with managed services revenues growing 5.7% in fiscal 2025.

How Do Estimates Compare for ACN & QBTS?

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for D-Wave Quantum’s 2025 sales is pegged at $23.3 million, suggesting a 100% year-over-year upsurge. The consensus estimate for loss for the same period is pegged at 25 cents, whereas it reported 75 cents in the preceding year. Two estimates for 2025 have moved north in the past 60 days versus no southward revision.

 

Zacks Investment ResearchImage Source: Zacks Investment Research

 

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ACN’s fiscal 2025 sales is pegged at $68.4 billion, suggesting 5.4% year-over-year growth. The consensus estimate for earnings is pegged at $12.7 per share, indicating a 6.3% year-over-year rise.  Five estimates for fiscal 2025 moved north in the past 60 days versus five southward revisions.

 

Zacks Investment ResearchImage Source: Zacks Investment Research

 

ACN Looks Way Cheaper Than QBTS

Accenture is trading at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 2.6, below its 12-month median of 3.09. D-Wave Quantum’s forward price-to-sales ratio stands at 81.28X, significantly higher than its median of 13.58X.

 

Zacks Investment ResearchImage Source: Zacks Investment Research

 

Verdict

D-Wave Quantum is a buy, driven by bookings, strong top-line expectations and better performance than classical supercomputers. Its ability to solve complex problems utilizing quantum annealing and being more cost-effective than classical alternatives set it apart from most market players. Accenture, while a leader within the consulting and technology services domain, is a Hold for now. Despite strong fundamentals and a lower forward price-to-sales ratio than QBTS, the company operates within a mature industry prone to slow expansion, which might not be appealing to growth-oriented investors. Hence, investors may consider waiting for a stronger earnings catalyst before adding ACN.

QBTS carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and ACN has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.


Zacks' 7 Best Strong Buy Stocks (New Research Report)


Valued at $99, click below to receive our just-released report
predicting the 7 stocks that will soar highest in the coming month.


Click Here, It's Really Free

Published in