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IT services and system integrators · United States

CACI International

caci.com ↗

US government contractor providing IT, intelligence, and defense services under classified security clearances.

Hard to displace
Assessed 20 July 2026 · Evidence as of 20 July 2026
Strong structural protection; the business model survives ai pressure.
On the recordSince 20 July 2026 · Checkable from H2 2026 · Every call on the record Checkpoint: Supreme Court ruling in Cisco contractor-liability case could reset industry legal exposure
The call

CACI's classified clearances keep AI labs and tech giants out of its core work, while rivals and litigation, not algorithms, are the forces to watch.

CACI builds software and systems for the U.S. military and intelligence agencies on projects that require security clearances. It is hard to replace because the company's workers have government clearances that take years to obtain, and by law only cleared companies can bid on classified work. Companies like OpenAI or Google cannot compete for these contracts, even with better AI, because the law and regulations block them. The one thing to watch: if AI tools let CACI's workers do the same job with fewer people, the company might have to change how it charges the government (from paying by the hour to paying for results), and that switch could reduce profits over several years if CACI moves slowly.

Why
01
AI pressure: None apparent. OpenAI, Anthropic and Google models cannot hold clearances or bid on classified work; CACI sells AI as a capability instead of losing to it. Could AI do the core job? Unlikely.
02
Bigger players: Leidos, Booz Allen Hamilton, SAIC. Rivals compete for the same recompetes; losing several in one cycle would signal CACI's grip on contracts is loosening. Could a giant copy it? No, they are blocked.
03
What protects it. TS/SCI cleared workforce and legal accountability requirements that lock CACI into long-running classified government systems.
What would change this call
Leidos, SAIC, or Booz Allen win multiple CACI contract recompetes in a single award cycle. Would show CACI's incumbency moat is weakening against direct peers.
Supreme Court ruling in Cisco Alien Tort Statute case, expected within months of April 28, 2026 argument. Could raise legal exposure industry-wide, affecting CACI's contractor liability risk.
CACI FY2026 Q4 and full-year earnings release with FY2027 guidance around July 16, 2026. Would show whether AI-driven labor-hour compression is starting to affect revenue-per-headcount.
Key numbers
  • FY2026 Q3 revenue $2.4B, up 8.5% YoY (2026-03-31)
  • FY2026 revenue guidance raised to $9.5-9.6B (2026-04-23)
  • Al Shimari v. CACI $42M verdict affirmed (2026-03-12)
Named risks
  • Al Shimari Abu Ghraib case exposes CACI to $42 million verdict and contractor liability precedent. Severity: high
  • Agentic AI could compress labor-hours on cost-plus and time-and-materials contracts faster than repricing. Severity: medium
  • Antitrust investigation into alleged no-hire agreements with The Buffalo Group over intelligence workers. Severity: medium
  • Federal budget lumpiness and prior government shutdowns delay contract awards and funding. Severity: medium
  • New-logo revenue growth is thin, only 1% of FY26 revenue mix, limiting expansion beyond incumbency. Severity: low
Rivals, as read in July 2026
RivalDirectionEvidence
LeidoscontestingLeidos revenue $17.2B vs CACI ~$9B, both bidding same federal IT contracts, 2026-03-07
Booz Allen HamiltoncontestingBooz Allen revenue $11.2B, closer peer size, competes for same agency recompetes, 2026
SAICcontestingSAIC revenue ~$7.3B, comparable federal-services peer named alongside CACI, 2026
OpenAI, Anthropic, Google (frontier AI labs)contestingBarred from classified bidding by clearance rules; CACI integrates their-style AI as a sold feature instead
Questions people ask
Is CACI International profitable in 2026?
Yes. CACI posted FY2025 net income of $499.8 million on $8.6 billion revenue (year ended June 30, 2025), and FY2026 Q3 (ended March 31, 2026) net income was $130.4 million on $2.4 billion revenue, up 8.5% year over year.
Could AI replace CACI International's business?
Unlikely in its core market. CACI's revenue depends on TS/SCI security clearances and classified government incumbency that frontier AI models like those from OpenAI or Anthropic cannot hold. As of April 2026, 98% of CACI's FY26 revenue came from existing, locked-in contracts.
Who is CACI International's biggest competitor?
Leidos, Booz Allen Hamilton, and SAIC are CACI's closest peers in federal IT and defense services. Leidos posted $17.2 billion revenue and Booz Allen $11.2 billion versus CACI's roughly $9 billion (FY2025), per a March 7, 2026 Trefis comparison, making CACI the smaller of the group.
Is it safe to take a job at CACI International in 2026?
Headcount is growing modestly, not shrinking. Company filings cite about 27,000 employees as of mid-2026, and Revelio Labs tracked 27,028 employees in December 2025, up 1.7% for the year, with no layoff announcements reported.
Who owns CACI International?
CACI International Inc is publicly traded on the NYSE under ticker CACI with no controlling parent company. Market capitalization was reported between $10.2 billion and $13.6 billion across sources as of July 20, 2026.
Does CACI International face legal risk from the Abu Ghraib case?
Yes. On March 12, 2026, the Fourth Circuit affirmed a $42 million jury verdict against CACI Premier Technology in the Al Shimari v. CACI Abu Ghraib torture case by a 2-1 vote, and CACI is seeking abeyance pending a related Supreme Court case argued April 28, 2026.
Timeline
  • 2026-07-16CACI wins up to $113 million, 5-year U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command modernization contract
  • 2026-06-16CACI achieves Awardable status in Department of War CDAO Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace
  • 2026-04-28Supreme Court hears related Cisco case affecting CACI's Al Shimari abeyance motion
  • 2026-04-22CACI reports FY2026 Q3 revenue of $2.4 billion, up 8.5% YoY, raises full-year guidance
  • 2026-03-12Fourth Circuit affirms $42 million jury verdict against CACI in Al Shimari Abu Ghraib case, 2-1
  • 2026-03-09CACI completes $2.6 billion all-cash acquisition of ARKA Group from Blackstone
  • 2026-01-28CACI named a 2026 Fortune World's Most Admired Company for ninth consecutive year
  • 2026-01-20CACI reports FY2026 Q2 revenue growth of 5.7% YoY, EBITDA margin 11.8%
  • 2025-12-22CACI signs definitive agreement to acquire ARKA Group, expanding space and AI-software focus
Revision history
20 July 2026
First assessed. Hard to displace. The text above is fixed as of this date and is not edited afterwards.
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