Accenture Shares Surge 5% on Strong Second-Quarter Earnings Amid Growing AI Demand

Accenture Sees Shares Rise 4.7% Following Strong Second Quarter Earnings

Accenture (NYSE: ACN) witnessed a 4.7% increase in its shares to hit a day's high of $204.20 apiece on March 19, following the release of its second quarter earnings for fiscal 2026.

Key Highlights

• Revenue in US dollar terms increased by 8% to $18.04 billion, beating estimates of $17.84 billion.
• Operating income for the quarter rose by 11% to $2.49 billion.
• Operating margin expanded to 13.8%.
• Adjusted earnings per share stood at $2.93, higher than $2.82 in the same period last year.
• Net income was $1.86 billion, compared to $1.82 billion in the second quarter of fiscal 2025.
• New bookings for the second quarter of fiscal 2026 stood at $22.11 billion, a 6% increase in US dollar terms and a 1% increase in local currency.

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Guidance and Outlook

• Accenture forecasts full-year revenue growth to be 3% to 5% in local currency.
• Excluding an estimated 1% impact from its US federal business, the company expects revenue growth to be 4% to 6% in local currency.
• Full-year GAAP diluted earnings per share are expected to be in the range of $13.25 to $13.50, a 9% to 11% increase.
• Full-year adjusted earnings per share are expected to be in the range of $13.65 to $13.90, a 6% to 8% increase.
• The company has lifted its full-year free cash flow expectation to be in the range of $10.8 billion to $11.5 billion.