Accenture’s stock experienced significant gains following the release of its fiscal fourth-quarter financial results. The company reported earnings per share of $3.29 on revenue of $18.68 billion, surpassing LSEG consensus estimates of $3.18 per share and $18.03 billion in revenue. Shares rallied substantially during the trading session, rising more than 22% at its peak before closing with a gain approaching 16%.
CEO Julie Sweet attributed the company’s strong performance to artificial intelligence serving as a major growth catalyst. She noted that the firm has secured $85 billion in new business contracts entering the following year, driven by a strategic focus on large-scale transformational deals and positioning the company to lead in AI and data markets. Full year adjusted earnings for fiscal 2026 reached $13.97 per share, representing an 8% year-over-year increase, while annual revenue totaled $74.2 billion, marking a 6% gain.
The company achieved record performance in major client bookings, specifically contracts valued at $100 million or more. Additionally, Accenture increased its quarterly dividend by 5% to $1.71 per share, with payments scheduled for November 13. Management provided a fiscal-year 2027 outlook projecting 3%-6% year-over-year growth in both revenue and adjusted earnings per share.
Following the earnings announcement, Stifel maintained its buy rating on the professional services firm and raised the stock’s price target to $242 per share from $225. Analyst David Grossman highlighted broad-based business outperformance across discretionary deals, federal government sector activity, and accelerating demand from AI-focused partners. Despite Thursday’s substantial gains, the stock remained down more than 18% year to date, reflecting earlier market concerns regarding potential AI-related disruption to key business segments.
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