Rising AI And Automation Will Undermine Traditional IT Services

Key Takeaways

• Shifts toward automation, AI, and cloud solutions are eroding demand for Atos' core services while intensifying competition challenges future revenue and margins.
  
• High debt, restructuring, and operational disruptions constrain growth investments and threaten earnings, creating uncertainty in business stability and customer retention.
  
• Faster-than-expected restructuring, improved contract mix, and renewed customer confidence position Atos for margin expansion, stabilized revenues, and stronger earnings outlook with lower financial risk.

Catalysts

Provides digital transformation solutions and services in France and internationally.

• Despite management's optimism, Atos continues to face significant headwinds from increasing automation and adoption of AI, which is structurally reducing demand for its traditional IT outsourcing and managed services; this ongoing shift is likely to pressure both revenues and margins as clients transition toward more modern, self-service, and cloud-native solutions.
  
• Persistent high debt levels and a negative equity position limit strategic flexibility and raise the risk of higher future interest costs, credit downgrades, or forced asset sales; this constraint is likely to depress net earnings and could restrict investment needed to pursue growth in emerging segments.
  
• The company's core IT services business remains exposed to intensifying competition from both hyperscalers and specialized digital firms, making it harder for Atos to win large-scale, high-margin contracts-an ongoing risk for future revenue growth and operating margins despite recent order wins.
  
• Ongoing restructuring, significant country exits, and pending divestitures are required to restore profitability but also create business disruption and uncertainty; this operational upheaval could impact customer retention, slow pipeline conversion, and further pressure short-to-medium term earnings.
  
• Global talent shortages and rising wages for skilled tech workers are likely to offset cost cuts achieved through offshoring, complicating Atos' efforts to sustainably improve EBITDA margins amid industry-wide inflationary pressures.

Atos Future Earnings and Revenue Growth

Assumptions

• Analysts are assuming Atos's revenue will decrease by 0.4% annually over the next 3 years.
• Analysts are not forecasting that Atos will become profitable in next 3 years. To represent the Analyst Price Target as a Future PE Valuation we will estimate Atos's profit margin will increase from 17.3% to the average GB IT industry of 6.2% in 3 years.
• If Atos's profit margin were to converge on the industry average, you could expect earnings to reach €527.4 million (and earnings per share of €22.93) by about September 2028, down from €1.5 billion today.
• In order for the above numbers to justify the analysts price target, the company would need to trade at a PE ratio of 1.9x on those 2028 earnings, up from 0.5x today. This future PE is lower than the current PE for the GB IT industry at 14.5x.
• Analysts expect the number of shares outstanding to grow by 7.0% per year for the next 3 years.
• To value all of this in today's terms, we will use a discount rate of 12.1%, as per the Simply Wall St company report.

Atos Future Earnings Per Share Growth

Risks

• Atos has stabilized its revenues at around €2 billion per quarter, with management noting improving order entry, a growing deal pipeline, and contract renewals above 90%, suggesting a foundation for revenue stabilization and future growth which could support improved earnings.
  
• The Genesis restructuring plan is progressing faster than initially planned, with estimated completion by the end of 2026 and evidence of successful cost-shaving actions-such as billability at 79% and SG&A cost reduction by 10%-supporting expectations for significantly improved operating margins in 2026 and beyond.
  
• Atos has successfully renegotiated previously loss-making contracts (e.g., a major German OEM contract moving from a -10% to +10% margin), and continues to exit or restructure low-margin contracts, which is expected to enhance net margin resilience even if revenue growth is modest.
  
• Customer confidence is returning-clients who had paused tenders or expansion are now reopening opportunities, especially large clients like Siemens-this signals improved sales visibility and potential revenue growth, reducing the risk of major revenue losses.
  
• Management projects a return to positive organic top-line growth in 2026 and operating margin expansion (targeting 10% by 2028), with a deleveraging trajectory supported by completion of restructuring and a resumption of M&A, indicating a path to improved free cash flow, reduced net debt, and increased earnings over the long term.

Valuation

• The analysts have a consensus price target of €30.15 for Atos based on their expectations of its future earnings growth, profit margins and other risk factors. However, there is a degree of disagreement amongst analysts, with the most bullish reporting a price target of €41.0, and the most bearish reporting a price target of just €20.6.
• In order for you to agree with the analyst's consensus, you'd need to believe that by 2028, revenues will be €8.5 billion, earnings will come to €527.4 million, and it would be trading on a PE ratio of 1.9x, assuming you use a discount rate of 12.1%.
• Given the current share price of €37.6, the analyst price target of €30.15 is 24.7% lower.
• We always encourage you to reach your own conclusions though. So sense check these analyst numbers against your own assumptions and expectations based on your understanding of the business and what you believe is probable.