CNBC World3 hours agoBusiness1 min read

Accenture shares surge as fiscal fourth-quarter results beat expectations

Consulting giant reports record bookings and increased dividend, despite year-to-date stock decline

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Accenture shares rose over 22% after the company reported fiscal fourth-quarter earnings of $3.29 per share on $18.68 billion in revenue, beating analyst estimates.
The firm also announced a 5% dividend increase and record high-value client bookings.

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Why It Matters

Accenture is a global consulting firm that has faced market pressure throughout the year due to investor concerns regarding the impact of artificial intelligence on its business model.

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Shares of Accenture surged Thursday after the company's fiscal fourth-quarter results beat estimates.

The consulting giant reported earnings per share of $3.29 on revenue of $18.68 billion. That exceeded LSEG consensus estimates of $3.18 earnings per share and revenue of $18.03 billion.

The stock surged more than 22%. That puts in on pace for its biggest one-day surge ever, FactSet data shows.

Full year adjusted earnings for fiscal 2026 amounted to $13.97 per share, up 8% year on year, while revenue totaled $74.2 billion, marking a 6% increase.

"These results reflect the continued trust our clients place in us to help them reinvent and create value, the high level of innovation we bring every day and the extraordinary commitment of our Reinventors to our clients' success," Chair and CEO Julie Sweet said in a press release Thursday, noting broad-based growth across the business and record cash returned to shareholders.

The company also posted a record in big-ticket client bookings, those valuing $100 million or more. On top of that, Accenture increased its quarterly dividend by 5% to $1.71 per share, which will be payable Nov. 13.

For its fiscal year 2027 outlook, Accenture sees 3%-6% year-over-year growth in both revenue and adjusted earnings per share.

Despite Thursday's massive gain, the stock remains down more than 18% year to date due to worries that artificial intelligence will disrupt key business segments.