Accenture Shares Fall Despite Earnings Beat as Outlook Disappoints

Font: Financial Modeling Prep  • Mar 19, 2026

Accenture (NYSE: ACN) reported second-quarter results that exceeded analyst expectations, but shares declined more than 3% in premarket trading Thursday after the company’s full-year earnings outlook came in slightly below forecasts.

The professional services firm posted adjusted earnings per share of $2.93 for the quarter ended February 28, surpassing the analyst consensus of $2.85 by $0.08. Revenue reached $18.0 billion, beating estimates of $17.83 billion and reflecting growth of 8% in U.S. dollars and 4% in local currency compared with the prior-year period. The company also recorded new bookings of $22.1 billion, marking a 6% increase in U.S. dollars.

Despite the strong quarterly performance, Accenture guided fiscal 2026 adjusted earnings per share to a range of $13.65 to $13.90. The midpoint of $13.78 fell short of the analyst consensus estimate of $13.86. The company expects revenue growth of 3% to 5% in local currency, or 4% to 6% excluding an anticipated 1% headwind from its U.S. federal business.

Operating margin improved by 30 basis points to 13.8% during the quarter. Accenture generated free cash flow of $3.7 billion and returned $2.7 billion to shareholders, including $1.7 billion in share repurchases and $1.0 billion in dividends.

The company raised its full-year free cash flow outlook to between $10.8 billion and $11.5 billion and highlighted its role in supporting clients’ adoption of advanced AI technologies and enterprise transformation initiatives.