Accenture Shares Soar on Strong Earnings and Revenue Beat

Accenture shares saw a significant increase of 6.9% in early trading on Thursday after the consulting and outsourcing services provider reported fourth-quarter results that surpassed expectations and offered an optimistic outlook for fiscal 2025.

For the quarter ending August 31, the company announced adjusted earnings per share of $2.79, slightly higher than analysts’ predictions of $2.78. Additionally, revenue grew by 3% year-over-year, reaching $16.4 billion, which also exceeded the consensus estimate of $16.35 billion.

New bookings surged to $20.1 billion for the quarter, marking a 21% year-over-year increase, including $1 billion attributed to generative AI bookings. For the entire fiscal year 2024, new bookings achieved a record high of $81.2 billion, reflecting a 13% rise from the prior year.

Julie Sweet, Accenture’s chair and CEO, emphasized the company’s resilience and adaptability, stating, “Our performance in fiscal year 2024 demonstrates the resilience and agility of our business model, the power of our scale, and reinvention in action.”

Looking forward, Accenture anticipates revenue growth of 3% to 6% in local currency for fiscal 2025. The company also projects full-year earnings per share between $12.55 and $12.91, indicating growth of 5% to 8% from the adjusted EPS for fiscal 2024.

In addition, Accenture announced a 15% increase in its quarterly dividend to $1.48 per share and approved an additional $4 billion for share repurchases.

The combination of strong results and positive guidance has fueled investor optimism, as reflected in the notable increase in the stock price following the earnings announcement.