IBM Sinks 7% as CEO’s AI Spending Caution Overshadows Earnings Beat; Accenture and Infosys Ease Back

IBM Sinks 7% as CEO’s AI Spending Caution Overshadows Earnings Beat; Accenture and Infosys Ease Back

By David Moadel
Publication Date: 2026-10-22 13:03:00

Quick Read

  • IBM beat Q3 estimates but fell 7% after Krishna warned enterprise clients are scrutinizing AI spending with “no real return.”

  • Accenture fell just 0.5% and Infosys dropped 2%, far less than IBM’s 7% slide, pointing to company-specific rather than sector-wide damage.

  • IBM raised its free cash flow target but held its full-year revenue growth forecast at between 4% and 5%, disappointing investors who had expected an upgrade.

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A quarter that topped Wall Street forecasts on revenue and adjusted earnings is drawing sellers into International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM), as an unchanged full-year outlook and pointed artificial intelligence (AI) commentary from the chief executive set the…