Accenture (ACN) Stock: AI Bookings Surge as Earnings Crush Estimates

TLDR

• Accenture reported Q1 adjusted earnings per share of $3.94, beating analyst estimates of $3.74
• Revenue reached $18.7 billion, up 6% in U.S. dollars, topping the consensus estimate of $18.51 billion
• New bookings surged 10% to $20.9 billion, including $2.2 billion in AI-related bookings
• The company maintained its fiscal 2026 revenue growth forecast of 2% to 5% in local currency
• Accenture returned $3.3 billion to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends during the quarter

Accenture posted better-than-expected first-quarter results on Thursday. The global professional services company delivered earnings and revenue that topped Wall Street forecasts.

Shares climbed 3.8% in premarket trading following the announcement. The results showed continued momentum in the company’s AI services business.

The quarter ended November 30, 2025 brought adjusted earnings of $3.94 per share. Analysts had predicted $3.74 per share. Revenue hit $18.7 billion, beating the $18.51 billion consensus estimate.

Accenture plc, ACN

Revenue grew 5% in local currency and 6% in U.S. dollars compared to the same period last year. The growth came in at the top end of the company’s guidance range.

New bookings jumped 10% in local currency to reach $20.9 billion. This included $2.2 billion specifically tied to advanced AI services. The AI bookings figure shows enterprises are moving quickly to implement the technology.

Companies are racing to embed AI into their workflows. The goal is cutting costs and boosting productivity. Accenture’s results suggest its AI strategy is working.

The company reported 33 clients with quarterly bookings exceeding $100 million each. This demonstrates strong demand across its client base.

Margins Expand Despite Challenges

The company’s adjusted operating margin expanded 30 basis points to 17.0%. Free cash flow reached $1.5 billion for the quarter.

Accenture faces headwinds in certain areas. The public sector and government clients continue to show uneven demand. A federal push to lower costs and refocus funds is creating challenges in that segment.

Despite these obstacles, the company returned $3.3 billion to shareholders during the quarter. This came through share repurchases and dividends.

Guidance Remains Steady

For fiscal 2026, Accenture kept its revenue growth forecast unchanged. The company expects 2% to 5% growth in local currency.

The forecast excludes an estimated 1% impact from its U.S. federal business. Without that headwind, the company continues to expect 3% to 6% revenue growth.

Accenture reaffirmed its adjusted earnings guidance of $13.52 to $13.90 per share. This aligns with the analyst consensus of $13.77.

The company’s AI bookings totaled $2.2 billion for the quarter. This represents a key driver of its overall bookings performance.

Shares initially jumped 2% in premarket trading before climbing higher to 3.8%. The market response showed investor approval of the results.

The quarter ended November 30, 2025 with revenue of $18.74 billion compared to analysts’ average estimate of $18.52 billion.

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