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IT Services Industry Key Financial Data 2023

The following analysis considers the 119 major publicly listed IT service companies with a market capitalisation above $1 billion. The numbers in the tables are expressed in millions of dollars except for percentages and ratios.

For a comprehensive forward looking analysis of the IT services industry and 2024 outlook check this post.

Number 119
Expected Growth Rate 8,70%
Financials 2023
Total Revenues  $ 578.121,00
Operating Income   $   61.720,00
Free Cash Flows Firm  $   36.736,82
Effective Tax Rate  21,53%
10Y Median Operating Ratios
 Revenues Growth  5,0%
 Gross Margin  32,8%
Operating Margin 10,9%
Reinvestment Margin 3,4%
ROIC 18,2%
Sales to IC 1,85
Solvency Ratios
Debt to EV 5,6%
Debt to Equity 18,2%
Interest Coverage  9,51
Rating  Aaa/AAA
Spread 0,69%
Beta
Unlevered Beta 2 y 0,72
Unlevered Beta 5 y 0,77

In 2023 the IT services industry generated $578 billion in revenues, an increase of 7.9% from the $536 billion of 2022.

Over the past 10 years, the median growth rate in revenues for the IT services industry has been 5%.

Year Total Revenues
2023 578.121
2022 536.016
2021 521.563
2020 493.333
2019 448.454
2018 420.895
2017 406.450
2016 371.472
2015 356.005
2014 375.918
2013 378.260
2012 386.010

Overall, the IT services industry registered an operating income of $61.7 billion in 2023. Regarding profitability, the 10-year median gross margin is 32.8%, while the 10-year median operating margin is equal to 10.9%.

Year Operating Income 
2023 61.720
2022 58.684
2021 51.447
2020 52.255
2019 48.847
2018 50.659
2017 44.477
2016 43.900
2015 44.580
2014 48.800
2013 45.838
2012 45.712

The total free cash flows to the firm for the IT services industry were $36.7 billion in 2023.

Moving on to efficiency ratios, the IT services industry’s 10-year median return on invested capital (ROIC) is 18.2%, while the 10-year median sales to invested capital is equal to 1.85.

The 10-year median reinvestment margin for the IT services industry – expressed as total reinvestments in net capital expenditures, acquisitions, and R&D divided by total revenues – is 3.4%.

Multiplying the reinvestment margin, which shows how much IT service companies have invested over the past years, by the sales to invested capital ratio, showing how efficiently IT service companies have invested, we can calculate the expected growth rate in revenues for the IT services industry, equal to 8.7%.

Check out this post for a detailed explanation of how to calculate future revenue growth rates.

Median Expected Growth Rate
8,70%
Year Reinvestment Margin Sales To IC
2023 2,85% 1,41
2022 3,05% 1,38
2021 2,92% 1,48
2020 2,26% 1,52
2019 8,97% 1,71
2018 2,19% 1,91
2017 4,41% 2,07
2016 4,13% 2,21
2015 4,45% 2,21
2014 3,88% 2,30
2013 3,35% 2,52

As regards solvency ratios, the debt-to-enterprise value ratio for the IT services industry is 5.6%, while the debt-to-equity ratio is 18.2%.

The interest coverage ratio instead, showing how much the operating income covers interest expenses, is equal to 9.51, which would translate into a credit rating for the IT services industry equal to Aaa/AAA based on Moody’s rating standards.

Finally, the unlevered beta of the IT services industry – which is the beta depurated by the debt leverage – has been 0.72 for the past 2 years, and 0.77 for the past 5 years.

However, the beta is only one of the required inputs to calculate the appropriate discount rate for company valuation. Check out this page where you can find the equity risk premium for different markets needed to calculate the required cost of equity.