Looking back on it services & consulting stocks’ Q2 earnings, we examine this quarter’s best and worst performers, including Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and its peers.
IT Services & Consulting companies stand to benefit from increasing enterprise demand for digital transformation, AI-driven automation, and cybersecurity resilience. Many enterprises can't attack these topics alone and need IT services and consulting on everything from technical advice to implementation. Challenges in meeting these needs will include finding talent in specialized and evolving IT fields. While AI and automation can enhance productivity, they also threaten to commoditize certain consulting functions. Another ongoing challenge will be pricing pressures from offshore IT service providers, which have lower labor costs and increasingly equal access to advanced technology like AI.
The 8 it services & consulting stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q2. As a group, revenues were in line with analysts’ consensus estimates while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 0.7% below.
Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 8.2% on average since the latest earnings results.
Weakest Q2: Accenture (NYSE: ACN)
With a workforce of approximately 774,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture (NYSE: ACN) is a professional services firm that helps organizations transform their businesses through consulting, technology, operations, and digital services.
Accenture reported revenues of $18.72 billion, up 5.6% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, but overall, it was a slower quarter for the company with revenue guidance for next quarter missing analysts’ expectations.
Accenture delivered the weakest guidance update of the whole group. Interestingly, the stock is up 7% since reporting and currently trades at $179.25.
Is now the time to buy Accenture? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Best Q2: Gartner (NYSE: IT)
With over 2,500 research experts guiding organizations through complex technology landscapes, Gartner (NYSE: IT) provides research, advisory services, and conferences that help executives make better decisions about technology and other business priorities.
Gartner reported revenues of $1.68 billion, flat year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 1.8%. The business had an exceptional quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.
Gartner scored the biggest analyst estimate beat in the group. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 18.5% since reporting. It currently trades at $179.52.
Is now the time to buy Gartner? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
IBM (NYSE: IBM)
With a corporate history spanning over a century and once known for its iconic mainframe computers, IBM (NYSE: IBM) provides hybrid cloud computing platforms, AI solutions, consulting services, and enterprise infrastructure to help businesses modernize their operations.
IBM reported revenues of $17.16 billion, up 1.1% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.5%. It was a slower quarter as it posted EPS in line with analysts’ estimates.
IBM delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates of the whole group. Interestingly, the stock is up 14.4% since the results and currently trades at $235.41.
Read our full analysis of IBM’s results here.
Everforth (NYSE: EFOR)
Evolving from its roots in IT staffing to become a high-end technology consulting powerhouse, Everforth (EFOR) provides specialized IT consulting services and staffing solutions to Fortune 1000 companies and U.S. federal government agencies.
Everforth reported revenues of $1.01 billion, down 1.3% year on year. This number surpassed analysts’ expectations by 1.6%. It was an exceptional quarter as it also recorded an impressive beat of analysts’ EPS guidance for next quarter estimates and a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.
Everforth delivered the highest guidance raise among its peers. The stock is up 39.7% since reporting and currently trades at $32.70.
Read our full, actionable report on Everforth here, it’s free.
EPAM (NYSE: EPAM)
Founded in 1993 during the early days of offshore software development, EPAM Systems (NYSE: EPAM) provides digital engineering, cloud, and AI transformation services to help global enterprises and startups modernize their technology systems and create digital products.
EPAM reported revenues of $1.41 billion, up 4.5% year on year. This print beat analysts’ expectations by 0.6%. Aside from that, it was a mixed quarter as it also recorded a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but revenue guidance for next quarter missing analysts’ expectations.
The stock is down 8.8% since reporting and currently trades at $100.16.
Read our full, actionable report on EPAM here, it’s free.
Market Update
Over the past year, investors have been forced to repeatedly answer the same question: what is the market’s biggest risk? The answer has changed several times, and each shift has reshaped market leadership.
Late in 2025 and early 2026, artificial intelligence became the market’s primary uncertainty. Investors questioned whether AI would erode software pricing power and weaken competitive moats as AI made it easier to replicate once-differentiated products.
By the spring, technology took a back seat to geopolitics. The U.S. conflict with Iran briefly became the market’s dominant narrative, raising concerns about oil prices, inflation, and global growth. But as energy markets remained orderly and fears of a prolonged supply disruption faded, investors quickly turned their focus back to fundamentals.
Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 6 Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.
