Is Accenture plc (ACN) the Best Metaverse Stock to Invest in?

We recently published a list of 12 Best Metaverse Stocks to Invest in. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) stands against other best metaverse stocks to invest in.

The metaverse, which comes under the video games industry, is a fast-growing digital frontier where immersive tech creates interactive virtual worlds. It is built on virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), blockchain, and mixed reality, offering simulated spaces for socializing, working, learning, and playing. Essentially, it blends digital and physical realities to provide customized and immersive experiences via avatars, live communication, and spatial computing. Users no longer just browse static web pages – they move through dynamic 3D environments that mirror and enhance real-world interactions, marking a shift from simple apps to fully immersive virtual spaces. Metaverse is segmented into four types: lifelogging, augmented reality, mirror world, and virtual reality.

The metaverse grows mainly by combining content streaming and blockchain infrastructure, where blockchain has improved secure transactions, digital asset ownership, and governance. These systems support user-driven economies where people build, sell, and profit from digital experiences, similar to Roblox. At the same time, the rise of 3D platforms, virtual markets, and gaming worlds drives investment.

In 2024, the global video streaming market—crucial for immersive media—hit $674.25 billion. The Business Research Company reports that the global metaverse market is predicted to grow from $227.05 billion in 2024 to $316.34 billion in 2025, with a strong 39.3% CAGR. Whereas, S&P Global Market Intelligence predicts that global metaverse revenue will climb from $17.5 billion in 2023 to $54.5 billion by 2028, growing at a 25.5% CAGR. Businesses became the main customer segment, driven by the need for digital twin software and remote collaboration tools. According to S&P, these businesses strengthened their position in 2023, accounting for 42.8% of the entire metaverse market. As major companies expand virtual platforms and adopt faster streaming, metaverse services strengthen across industries.

Moreover, social media and mobile internet have sped up the growth of the virtual ecosystem. With over 2.4 billion users on Meta (previously Facebook) and billions more on WhatsApp and YouTube, the digital world is more connected than ever. The line between digital and physical life keeps blurring as many daily activities—hanging out, entertainment, shopping—are already happening in early metaverse settings. This has sparked the development of virtual learning, workplace collaborative tools, and blockchain-based gaming economies. According to NewGenApps, VR and AR gaming is set to reach 216 million players worldwide by 2025, with a market worth $11.6 billion. Markedly, a 2024 survey revealed that 34% of game developers globally are creating titles for the Meta Quest Store, a digital marketplace, showing strong developer interest in immersive gaming platforms.

Furthermore, generative AI is reshaping the next phase of the metaverse, ranging from custom content suggestions to auto-dubbing, editing, and better visuals. Streaming platforms now use large language models like GPT-4 to create real-time content and ensure moderation, making digital interactions safer and more accessible. Although the broader metaverse is still under development, technologies powering virtual economies—such as play-to-earn games, NFT marketplaces, and digital event tickets—already create income opportunities for users and developers. The Entertainment Software Association reported that 227 million Americans play video games every week, with an average age of 31. This shows a growing mainstream adoption of immersive content across different age groups. The combination of AI with VR/AR is helping platforms expand beyond gaming and entertainment into healthcare and business applications.

As users want more personalized, high-resolution experiences, metaverse tech is advancing on low-latency infrastructures. Platforms like hesp.live are changing streaming with super-fast delivery for gaming, education, and live shopping. Initially, the metaverse faced a lot of backlash due to a not-so-appealing experience and inability to connect with users. Despite less public buzz after 2022, progress hasn’t stopped—the metaverse is young, with ongoing improvements pushing it forward. These advances, plus the growing demand for video-on-demand services, show how deeply the metaverse fits into digital viewing habits. As North America leads the market, with major players and high digital spending, Asia Pacific is also set for future growth due to the quick adoption of immersive tech.

This shows that the metaverse isn’t just a passing trend—it is a fundamental shift changing how people live, talk, and connect in digital spaces. As immersive environments disrupt traditional media, the metaverse is becoming a promising investment.

Our Methodology

To compile our list of the 12 Best Metaverse Stocks to Invest in, we first conducted extensive research to identify companies with significant exposure to the metaverse technology. First, we used stock screeners, ETFs, and online rankings to make an extended list of the relevant companies. Then, we extracted the number of hedge fund holders having a stake in the respective companies as of Q4 2024, using data from Insider Monkey’s hedge fund database. The finalists are stocks with the highest hedge fund interest.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).

Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) 

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 79

Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) provides global professional services in strategy, consulting, technology, and operations across industries worldwide. It offers enterprise metaverse consulting services to help clients create new connections and consumption methods, positioning them as leaders in virtual experience development. The company’s services include AI, cloud infrastructure, security, and digital creative work, along with Accenture Song, its digital creative group. Accenture’s investments in immersive tech and digital twins match growing enterprise metaverse demand, establishing the company’s stock as one of the best metaverse stocks.

For Q2 FY2025 ending February 28, 2025, Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) posted $16.7 billion in revenue, 8.5% growth in local currency, hitting the high end of projections. The company’s EPS was at $2.82, beating expectations slightly, with a 13.5% operating margin (down 0.2% from last year). New bookings reached $20.9 billion, creating a strong 1.3 book-to-bill ratio. Consulting revenue boosted 6%, while managed services jumped 11%, with Accenture Song, cloud, and security all seeing double-digit gains.

Furthermore, Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) posted that GenAI revenue hit $600 million in Q2 alone, pushing first-half FY25 GenAI revenue to $1.1 billion—already beating full-year FY24 figures. The company secured $1.4 billion in new GenAI deals and expanded its data/AI workforce to 72,000 people. Accenture’s Industry X division also performed well, highlighting its strength in combining physical and digital operations.

Although most sectors performed well, U.S. federal business faced delays as the new administration reviewed spending. Federal contracts make up 8% of Accenture’s global and 16% of its Americas revenue. Still, management raised its full-year outlook’s lower end, now expecting 5-7% local currency revenue growth and similar EPS gains. Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) plans to spend $2-3 billion on acquisitions this year to boost platform capabilities.

Overall, ACN ranks 8th on our list of best metaverse stocks to invest in. While we acknowledge the potential of ACN, our conviction lies in the belief that certain AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than ACN but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.