Close 1 Oct 2026
$212.30
Accenture rose 15.8% on 1 October, its best day on record. Q4 beat ($18.7B revenue against $18.0B expected) and $100M+ bookings hit a quarterly record. But the FY27 guide implies only about 0.5–4% organic growth, and Q1 revenue guidance sits slightly below consensus. At $212 the stock now equals the consensus target. Over the next 10–30 days the gain holds only if analyst upgrades and the October IT-services prints show AI adding to demand rather than deflating it.
| Dimension | Finding | Signal |
|---|---|---|
| Price action | +15.8% on 1 Oct (intraday high $227.63) on 29.0M shares, 4.9× the 30-day average. +70% from the $124.44 low of 30 Jun, but still −20.9% YTD and −26.4% from the $288.54 high of 14 Jan. Peers rose 2.6–6.0% in sympathy. | Mixed |
| Revenue growth | Q4 FY26 revenue $18.68B, +6% USD / +7% local currency, above the $17.75–18.40B guide and the $18.03B consensus. FY26 $74.2B (+5% LC). FY27 guide is +3–6% LC, including 2–2.5 pts from acquisitions, so organic growth is about 0.5–4%. | Mixed |
| Profitability | FY26 adjusted operating margin 15.8% (+20 bps), GAAP 15.4%. Q4 GAAP margin 15.3%, against 11.6% when FQ4 FY25 included business-optimisation costs. FY27 guide 15.9–16.1%. ROE 26%. | Bullish |
| Valuation vs peers | 14.5× FY27 EPS against an 11.5× peer forward median. ~10.0× EV/EBITDA against 11.8×. P/S 1.75× is in line with peers. Cheap against its own history (high-20s P/E in 2024), and in line with or above peers today. | Mixed |
| Platform KPIs | Q4 bookings $22.2B (book-to-bill 1.2). Managed services bookings a record $12.8B (book-to-bill 1.4). 141 bookings over $100M, a quarterly record. ~110,000 AI and data staff; 400+ clients started advanced-AI work in FY26. | Bullish |
| Balance sheet | Cash $12.8B against $10.1B of debt, so net cash is +$2.7B. FY26 FCF $11.6B (8.9% yield), with $11.5B returned. Dividend raised 5% to $1.71 a quarter. FY27 commits at least $9.5B of returns and ~$5B of M&A. | Bullish |
| Regime state | Q4 Quiet Drift on the boundary: Persistency +0.142, Volatility −0.021, within 0.05 of zero. Held 19 sessions. Volatility jumped from −0.290 on the print, so a flip to Volatile Trend is close. As of 1 Oct 2026 (1 trading day lag). | Neutral |
| Driver exposure | 86.5% idiosyncratic. Sector Driver 1 is −0.366 over five years, but its 60-day correlation has collapsed to −0.002. One-year correlation with the S&P 500 is 0.08; with Cognizant it is 0.85. ACN trades with the IT-services basket. As of 1 Oct 2026. | Neutral |
| Key risk (next 10–30 days) | The rally fades as the slow organic outlook sinks in. Q1 revenue guide midpoint is $19.28B against $19.36B consensus, and pricing was "lower in many areas". An Infosys, Cognizant or IBM print showing AI-driven price deflation would undo the relief. | Bearish |
| Catalysts in window | Analyst target resets (early Oct). Dividend record date 13 Oct. Infosys Q2 (mid-Oct), IBM Q3 (~21 Oct) and Cognizant Q3 (late Oct), all expected. FOMC 27–28 Oct. ACN's own next report (~mid-Dec) is outside the window. | Mixed |
| Overall view (10–30 days) | Mixed. The rally needs follow-through. The worst case on AI disruption was removed. The growth outlook was not upgraded. The market regime is supportive: 9 of 14 groups sit in regimes where ACN has had a positive Sharpe. Composite 6.9 / 10. Mixed | |
Signal reflects the 10–30 day window only (12 Oct – 1 Nov 2026). Row tint matches the badge. Regime and driver readings as of 1 Oct 2026, 1 trading day behind the report date.
The print showed demand has not collapsed under AI, and the stock re-rated from a deeply discounted level. It did not show that growth is coming back. October's peer results and the direction of analyst revisions will decide whether $212 is a new base or the top of a relief move.
Each case states what would have to happen inside the next 10–30 days for it to play out. This section argues; the verdict is in section 02.
Green at 8 and above, yellow 6–8, red below 6. Execution quality uses Earnings Quality. Risk management is the average of Balance Sheet and Structural Risk (6.25). Competitive Position is shown for context and carries no weight. Weighted sum: 1.50 + 1.40 + 1.26 + 1.02 + 0.63 + 0.65 + 0.43 = 6.9.
Ordered by what can bite inside the next 10–30 days, not by ultimate severity. Structural risks that cannot resolve inside the window are marked as context.
| Risk | Category | Mechanism | Bites in window? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peer print read-across | Competitive | 0.85 correlation with Cognizant; sector demand signal | Yes |
| Relief-rally retracement | Technical | Record gap on short-covering volume | Yes |
| Hold-heavy analyst base | Technical | Targets cluster at the price | Possible |
| Rates / FOMC | Macro | Bond-regime sensitivity | Possible |
| Federal / Middle East | Macro | ~$1B annualised headwind; budget risk | Possible |
| AI price deflation | Competitive | Fewer billable hours per outcome | Structural |
| New delivery models | Competitive | FDE / AI-lab services | Structural |
| M&A dependence | Financial | 2–2.5 pts of growth bought | Structural |
Accenture's balance sheet and cash flow carry no risk inside the window. What can hurt it in the next month is sector news: peer prints and the debate over AI pricing, landing on a stock that has just repriced 16% in a day.
| Quarter | Report Date | Revenue | vs Est. | EPS (dil.) | vs Est. | Stock Reaction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FQ4 FY26 (Aug-26) | 1 Oct 2026 | $18,679M | +3.6% | $3.29 | +3.4% | +15.8% |
| FQ3 FY26 (May-26) | 18 Jun 2026 | $18,718M | −0.3% | $3.80 | +2.5% | −18.0% |
| FQ2 FY26 (Feb-26) | 19 Mar 2026 | $18,044M | n/a | $2.93 | +3.3% | +4.3% |
| FQ1 FY26 (Nov-25) | 18 Dec 2025 | $18,742M | n/a | $3.54 (adj $3.94) | +5.9% | −1.4% |
| FQ4 FY25 (Aug-25) | 25 Sep 2025 | $17,596M | n/a | $2.25 (adj $3.03) | +2.0% | −2.7% |
| FQ3 FY25 (May-25) | 20 Jun 2025 | $17,728M | n/a | $3.49 | +5.0% | −6.9% |
All reports come before the open; the reaction is the same-day close-to-close move. EPS surprise is on adjusted EPS against consensus. Revenue consensus was confirmed only for the last two quarters; earlier quarters are n/a. Peer beat rates were not compiled (n/c) for this report. 21-session moves after each print, oldest to newest: +0.6%, +6.5%, +4.0%, −4.2%, +10.1%.
| Company | Rev Beat Rate | EPS Beat Rate | Guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACN | 50% (1/2 known) | 100% (6/6) | FY27 in line; Q1 slightly below |
| ACN (since Jun 2024) | — | 100% (9/9) | FY26 guide cut once (Jun), beaten in Q4 |
| Peer median | n/c | n/c | — |
| Item | Value | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Next report date | ~mid-Dec 2026 | Outside the 10–30 day window |
| Q1 FY27 revenue | $18.95–19.60B | Consensus $19.36B; midpoint $0.08B below |
| FY27 revenue growth (LC) | +3–6% | Includes 2–2.5 pts inorganic; ~$76.4–78.7B vs $76.41B cons. |
| FY27 operating margin | 15.9–16.1% | +10–30 bps |
| FY27 EPS | $14.39–14.81 | +6–9% GAAP / +3–6% adj.; consensus $14.63 |
| FY27 FCF | $11.0–11.8B | OCF $11.9–12.7B |
| FY27 capital returns | ≥ $9.5B | Below FY26's $11.5B |
| Dividend | $1.71 / qtr | +5%; record 13 Oct, paid 13 Nov |
The next Accenture print is not in the window. Guidance did not raise estimates: FY27 EPS is in line and Q1 is slightly light. Any upward pressure in October therefore has to come from multiple expansion and analyst repositioning, not from earnings revisions.
| Period | Source | View | Key Point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 (post-print) | Goldman, Evercore, Baird | Bullish | Targets set at $260 (Buy), $250 (Outperform) and $245 after the print |
| Oct 2026 (post-print) | Susquehanna, TD Cowen, Jefferies | Neutral | Susquehanna $210; TD Cowen and Jefferies reiterate Hold |
| Sep 2026 | Wells Fargo, Guggenheim | Bearish | Downgrades to Equal Weight ($194) and Neutral in mid-September |
| Sep 2026 | JPMorgan, BMO, Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank | Mixed | Targets raised to $175–200 from a depressed $130–179 base; ratings mostly unchanged |
| Oct 2026 call | Wolfe (Peller), BMO (Bachman) | Mixed | Questions on organic deceleration and on AI/FDE pricing deflation |
| Consensus | 24–27 analysts | Neutral | 11 Buy / 15 Hold / 1 Sell (Hold); mean target $208–211, at the price |
Sources: MarketBeat rating log, BigGo call summary, Yahoo Finance consensus, retrieved 2 Oct 2026. The consensus mean mixes pre- and post-print targets, so it understates where post-print targets are being set.
| Date | Insider | Transaction | Shares | Price | Value | Signal Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Sep 2026 | Julie Sweet, CEO | Award (plan) | 205 | $189.10 | $38.8k | Routine plan award; no signal |
| 4 Sep 2026 | Angie Park, CFO | Award (plan) | 145 | $189.10 | $27.4k | Routine; no signal |
| 4 Sep 2026 | John Walsh, Officer | Award (plan) | 146 | $189.10 | $27.6k | Routine; no signal |
| 4 Sep 2026 | Joel Unruch, General Counsel | Award (plan) | 145 | $189.10 | $27.4k | Routine; no signal |
| 4 Sep 2026 | Catherine Hogan, COO | Award (plan) | 113 | $189.10 | $21.4k | Routine; no signal |
| 14 Aug 2026 | Directors (Nason, McKinstry, Renduchintala) | Grant (dividend equivalents) | 9–12 each | — | — | Routine; no signal |
| FY2026 | Company (buyback) | Repurchase | n/d | n/d | $7.5B | Strongest signal; ≥$9.5B total returns in FY27 |
Source: SEC Form 4 via the Yahoo Finance insider feed; buyback from the FY26 release. No open-market insider purchases or sales appear in the recent filings, only plan-based awards and dividend-equivalent grants. Insider ownership is about 0.04%. The diluted share count fell from ~629M (FQ4 FY25) to ~612M as buybacks outpaced issuance (derived).
| Date | Source | Development | In window? |
|---|---|---|---|
| ~mid-Dec 2026 | Accenture (expected) | Q1 FY27 results against the $18.95–19.60B guide | No |
| ~early Nov 2026 | EPAM (expected) | Q3 results; digital-engineering demand read | No, just after |
| ~late Oct 2026 | Cognizant (expected) | Q3 results; ACN's closest-correlated peer (0.85) | Yes |
| 27–28 Oct 2026 | Federal Reserve | FOMC; rates are ACN's weakest current regime channel | Yes |
| ~late Oct 2026 | Capgemini (expected) | Q3 revenue; European consulting read | Yes |
| ~21 Oct 2026 | IBM (expected) | Q3 results; IBM Consulting segment is a direct comparison | Yes |
| ~mid-Oct 2026 | Infosys / Wipro (expected) | Q2 FY27 results; pricing and AI-deflation commentary | Yes |
| 13 Oct 2026 | Accenture release | Dividend record date ($1.71, +5%); paid 13 Nov | Yes |
| ~9 Oct 2026 | TCS (expected) | Q2 FY27 results; first offshore print after ACN | Just before |
| 1 Oct 2026 | Accenture release | Q4 beat ($18.68B / $3.29); record $100M+ bookings; FY27 +3–6% LC; stock +15.8% | No, sets the base |
The window is 10–30 days from the 2 Oct 2026 report date (12 Oct – 1 Nov 2026). Items are ordered newest (future) first. Dates marked "expected" follow prior-year patterns and are unconfirmed.
Early–mid Oct: sell-side resets and possible upgrades from a Hold-heavy base. 13 Oct: dividend record date. Mid-Oct: Infosys and Wipro, the first test of AI-pricing commentary after ACN. ~21 Oct: IBM Q3, including its consulting segment. Late Oct: Cognizant and Capgemini, the closest-correlated peers. 27–28 Oct: FOMC, the rates channel.
| Company | Price | Market Cap | TTM Revenue | P/S TTM | Rev Growth (latest Q, YoY) | Source View | News Sentiment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACN | $212.30 | $129.9B | $74.18B | 1.75× | +6.2% | Hold · $211 | Positive |
| IBM | $225.62 | $212.6B | $69.09B | 3.08× | +1.1% | Buy · $241 | Mixed |
| Cognizant (CTSH) | $60.88 | $27.4B | $21.64B | 1.27× | +4.5% | Buy · $65 | Mixed |
| Infosys (INFY) | $11.35 | $46.0B | $20.30B | 2.26× | +2.9% | Hold · $11.67 | Negative |
| EPAM | $114.35 | $5.9B | $5.62B | 1.05× | +4.5% | Buy · $123 | Mixed |
| Peer median | — | $36.7B | $20.97B | 1.77× | +3.7% | — | — |
Prices at the 1 Oct 2026 close. ACN figures come from its FY26 release (to 31 Aug 2026). Peer figures are vendor TTM to Jun 2026, with ADR pricing for Infosys. Every peer is down 24–44% YTD on the same AI-disruption debate. Source view is the vendor consensus key and mean target.
| Analyst / Source | Current Target | Previous | Date | Implied Return | Rating | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goldman Sachs (Schneider) | $260 | — | 1 Oct 2026 | +22.5% | Buy | ► Reiterated |
| Evercore ISI | $250 | — | 1 Oct 2026 | +17.8% | Outperform | ► Set |
| Baird | $245 | — | 1 Oct 2026 | +15.4% | n/d | ► Set |
| Susquehanna (Friedman) | $210 | — | 1 Oct 2026 | −1.1% | n/d | ► Set |
| JPMorgan (Huang) | $200 | $179 | 25 Sep 2026 | −5.8% | Overweight | ▲ Raised |
| BMO (Bachman) | $200 | $150 | 23 Sep 2026 | −5.8% | Market Perform | ▲ Raised |
| Deutsche Bank (Svensson) | $175 | $136 | 18 Sep 2026 | −17.6% | Hold | ▲ Raised |
| RBC (Paige) | $195 | — | 15 Sep 2026 | −8.1% | n/d | ► Set |
| Wells Fargo (Kupferberg) | $194 | — | 14 Sep 2026 | −8.6% | Equal Weight (downgrade) | ▼ Lowered (rating) |
| Morgan Stanley (Faucette) | $175 | $130 | 14 Sep 2026 | −17.6% | Equal Weight | ▲ Raised |
Implied return is measured against the $212.30 close on 1 Oct 2026. Source: MarketBeat rating log. Post-print targets ($210–260) cluster well above the September resets ($175–200). Six of the ten targets sit below the current price.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Last close | $212.30 |
| Consensus target | $210.95 |
| Median target | $212.50 |
| High target | $275.00 |
| Low target | $130.00 |
| Implied upside to consensus | −0.6% |
| Implied downside to low | −38.8% |
| Analysts contributing | 24 |
Yahoo Finance consensus, 2 Oct 2026. MarketBeat shows a $208.37 mean, $282 high and $130 low across 27 analysts. The consensus still blends pre-rally targets.
| $130 |
| $211 |
| $213 |
| $275 |
| Quarter | Revenue | QoQ Δ | YoY Δ | EPS (diluted) | Gross Margin | Adj. EBITDA | Margin | vs Est. | Next-day Reaction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FQ3 FY25 (May-25) | $17,728M | ~+6.4% | ~+7.7% | $3.49 | 32.9% | $3,311Me | 18.7% | Beat | −6.9% |
| FQ4 FY25 (Aug-25) | $17,596M | −0.7% | ~+7.3% | $2.25 | 31.9% | $3,254Me | 18.5% | Beat | −2.7% |
| FQ1 FY26 (Nov-25) | $18,742M | +6.5% | ~+5.9% | $3.54 | 33.1% | $3,637Me | 19.4% | Beat | −1.4% |
| FQ2 FY26 (Feb-26) | $18,044M | −3.7% | ~+8.3% | $2.93 | 30.3% | $2,835Me | 15.7% | Beat | +4.3% |
| FQ3 FY26 (May-26) | $18,718M | +3.7% | +5.6% | $3.80 | 32.8% | $3,528Me | 18.8% | Beat EPS / miss rev | −18.0% |
| FQ4 FY26 (Aug-26) | $18,679M | −0.2% | +6.2% | $3.29 | n/d | ~$3,180Me | ~17.0% | Beat | +15.8% |
| FQ1 FY27 guide | $19,275M | +3.2% | +2.8% | — | — | — | — | Below cons. ($19.36B) | — |
FY ends 31 August. Reports come before the open, so the reaction is same-day. Gross margin is vendor gross profit over revenue; FQ4 FY26 gross profit was not in the summary release. Adj. EBITDA marked e is vendor normalised EBITDA, or GAAP operating income plus ~$320M of D&A for FQ4 FY26. Growth rates marked "~" use prior-year quarters from earlier releases. The FQ1 guide uses the midpoint, and its YoY is in USD.
GAAP operating margin swings with business-optimisation charges, notably 11.6% in FQ4 FY25. Adjusted margin has been steadier: 15.8% in FY26, +20 bps. Revenue has been flat at about $18–19B a quarter for five quarters.
| Metric | 31 Aug 2026 | 31 Aug 2025 | 31 Aug 2024 | Target / Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current ratio | 1.43 | 1.42 | 1.10 | 1.5–3.0 healthy · just below; normal for services |
| Quick ratio | ~1.21e | 1.30 | 0.98 | ≥1.0 healthy · passed |
| Cash ratio | 0.57 | 0.56 | 0.26 | Cash $12.8B against $22.3B of current liabilities |
The Aug 2026 quick ratio uses the latest vendor figure (May 2026), because FY26 receivables were not in the summary release (marked e).
| Peer comparison (most recent reported) | Current Ratio | Net Cash Position | Liquidity Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACN (31 Aug 26) | 1.43 | +$2.7B | Strong |
| IBM (Jun 26) | 0.79 | −$57.1B | Levered |
| Cognizant (Jun 26) | 2.18 | −$1.0B | Strong |
| Infosys (Jun 26) | 1.86 | +$2.2B | Strong |
| EPAM (Jun 26) | 2.76 | +$0.6B | Strongest |
| Peer median | 2.02 | −$0.2B | — |
| Metric | 31 Aug 2026 | 31 Aug 2025 | 31 Aug 2024 | Target / Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt-to-equity | 0.31 | 0.16 | 0.04 | Lower is safer · rising to fund M&A, still low |
| Debt-to-assets | 0.14 | 0.08 | 0.02 | <0.5 conservative · passed |
| Interest coverage | ~42× (FY26) | 47× | 170× | >2.5 healthy · passed |
| Debt service coverage | >30× (FY26) | 34.6× | 10.8× | >1.25 healthy · passed |
Debt from the releases: $10.1B (Aug 26), $5.1B (Aug 25), ~$1.0B (Aug 24). FY26 interest expense is ~$272M (derived from quarters). FY26 current debt maturities were not disclosed in the summary, so DSCR is shown as a bound.
| Metric | FQ4 FY26 | TTM (= FY26) | FQ4 FY25 | FY2025 | FY2024 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | n/d | ~32.0% | 31.9% | 31.9% | 32.6% | → |
| Operating margin (GAAP) | 15.3% | 15.4% | 11.6% | 15.6% | 15.5% | → (adj 15.8% vs 15.6%) |
| Net margin | ~10.8%e | ~11.3%e | 8.0% | 11.0% | 11.2% | → |
| Adj. EBITDA margin | ~17.0%e | ~17.1%e | 18.5% | 17.0% | 16.7% | → |
| Return on assets | 2.7% (q) | 12.1% | 2.2% (q) | 12.7% | 13.6% | ▼ |
| Return on equity | 6.1% (q) | 25.9% | 4.4% (q) | 25.8% | 26.9% | → |
| DuPont (NPM × AT × EM) | — | 11.3% × 1.07 × 2.14 | — | 11.0% × 1.15 × 2.04 | 11.2% × 1.21 × 1.99 | Turnover falling as acquisitions add assets |
(q) = single quarter, not annualised. FY26 net income is ~$8.39B (13.56 × ~619M diluted shares, derived). ROE has held at about 26% while asset turnover has fallen from 1.21 to 1.07, as acquisitions add goodwill faster than revenue.
| Peer comparison | Gross | Op Margin | Net Margin | Adj. EBITDA | ROE | Profitability Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACN (FY26) | ~32.0% | 15.4% | 11.3% | ~17.1% | 25.9% | 4 of 5 |
| IBM | 58.1% | 16.5% | 15.5% | 23.8% | 34.5% | 3 of 5 |
| Cognizant | 33.4% | 17.5% | 10.3% | 18.6% | 14.9% | 2 of 5 |
| Infosys | 29.7% | 21.2% | 16.4% | 22.1% | 32.0% | 1 of 5 |
| EPAM | 29.5% | 10.9% | 7.2% | 13.4% | 11.2% | 5 of 5 |
| Peer median | 31.6% | 17.0% | 12.9% | 20.4% | 23.5% | — |
Peers are vendor TTM to Jun 2026. Rank is by operating margin. IBM's gross margin reflects its software mix and is not comparable.
| Metric | Current / TTM | Prior year | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asset turnover | 1.07 | 1.15 (FY25) | Acquisitions add assets |
| Revenue per employee | $91k | ~$89k (FY25) | Headcount ~814k vs ~779k |
| EPS growth (FY26, GAAP) | +11.6% | +6.2% (FY25) | Adjusted +8% |
| EPS growth (FQ4 YoY, GAAP) | +46.2% | — | Adjusted +9% (base had optimisation costs) |
| Dividend yield | 3.22% | ~2.4% | $1.71 per quarter from Nov |
| FCF yield | 8.9% | 8.4% (FY25) | On the current market cap |
| Company | Asset Turnover | Rev / Employee | Employees | EPS Growth | Div Yield | Growth Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACN | 1.07 | $91k | ~814,000 | +46.2% | 3.22% | 1 of 5 |
| IBM | 0.45 | $261k | 264,300 | −1.8% | 3.07% | 5 of 5 |
| Cognizant | 1.04 | $61k | 356,700 | +3.8% | 2.30% | 2 of 5 |
| Infosys | 1.24 | $62k | 328,062 | +5.3% | 4.87% | 4 of 5 |
| EPAM | 1.23 | $89k | 62,850 | +26.3% | — | 3 of 5 |
| Peer median | 1.13 | $76k | 296,181 | +4.6% | 3.07% | — |
Growth rank is by latest-quarter YoY revenue growth (Cognizant and EPAM tie at +4.5%). Peer asset turnover is TTM revenue over the latest total assets (derived). Peer EPS growth is the vendor's quarterly YoY figure; ACN's FQ4 GAAP growth is flattered by last year's optimisation charges.
| Metric | FQ4 FY26 | FQ4 FY25 | YoY | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $18.68B | $17.60B | +6% USD / +7% LC | Above the $17.75–18.40B guide |
| Consulting revenue | $9.28B | ~$8.75B | +6% / +7% LC | Discretionary demand held |
| Managed services revenue | $9.40B | ~$8.79B | +7% / +7% LC | Now just over 50% of revenue |
| New bookings | $22.2B | ~$21.3B | +4% / +5% LC | Book-to-bill 1.2 |
| Managed services bookings | $12.8B | — | record | Book-to-bill 1.4 |
| $100M+ bookings | 141 | — | record | Quarterly record |
| AI and data professionals | ~110,000 | — | — | Doubling goal exceeded; 400+ advanced-AI clients |
| Headcount | ~814,000 | ~779,000 | ~+4.5% | Growing about in line with revenue |
| Acquisitions (FY) | $4.9B (17) | — | — | ~$5B planned in FY27 |
Year-ago consulting, managed services and bookings figures are approximate (back-solved from the stated growth rates, marked ~). The ~$1B annualised Middle East headwind is built into the FY27 guide.
| Metric | Current | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| P/E TTM (GAAP) | 15.7× | 15.2× on adj. TTM $13.97; peer median 14.4× |
| P/E on FY27 guide (midpoint $14.60) | 14.5× | Peer forward median 11.5× |
| Price / book | 3.97× | Equity $32.7B |
| Price / sales TTM | 1.75× | Peer median 1.77× |
| EV / adj. EBITDA TTM | ~10.0× | EV $127.2B on ~$12.7B EBITDA (derived); peers 11.8× |
| PEG | 1.33 | Vendor; high for ~5% EPS growth |
| FCF yield / dividend yield | 8.9% / 3.2% | Funds ≥$9.5B of FY27 returns |
| Price / sales | Price | Market Cap | TTM Revenue | P/S TTM | vs Peer Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACN | $212.30 | $129.9B | $74.18B | 1.75× | −1% |
| IBM | $225.62 | $212.6B | $69.09B | 3.08× | +74% |
| Cognizant | $60.88 | $27.4B | $21.64B | 1.27× | −28% |
| Infosys | $11.35 | $46.0B | $20.30B | 2.26× | +28% |
| EPAM | $114.35 | $5.9B | $5.62B | 1.05× | −41% |
| Peer median | — | $36.7B | $20.97B | 1.77× | — |
| Earnings & growth-adjusted | TTM EPS | P/E TTM | Rev Growth | PEG | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACN | $13.56 | 15.7× | +6.2% | 1.33 | Premium to peers, discount to own history |
| IBM | $11.55 | 19.5× | +1.1% | 2.08 | Software mix premium |
| Cognizant | $4.94 | 12.3× | +4.5% | 0.84 | Cheapest large peer |
| Infosys | $0.81 | 14.0× | +2.9% | 1.82 | Margin leader, slow growth |
| EPAM | $7.78 | 14.7× | +4.5% | 0.58 | Deep discount, high short interest |
| Peer median | — | 14.4× | +3.7% | 1.33 | — |
After the rally Accenture trades in line with peers on sales and at a modest premium on earnings. The discount the AI fear created has largely closed, so further upside in the month needs better evidence on growth, not cheapness.
Persistency on x, Volatility on y. Source: Trader workbook, Individual regimes daily. Window 6 Aug 2025 – 1 Oct 2026, 291 observations (146 plotted after thinning). As of 1 Oct 2026, 1 trading day behind the 2 Oct 2026 report date.
| Measure | Current | Mean | Std Dev | Min | Max | Percentile | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persistency | 0.1416 | 0.1064 | 0.1000 | 0.0029 | 0.2779 | 55.0 | Random / Neutral, close to Mildly Trending. Positive all year, so ACN's moves have extended (mostly downward until June) |
| Volatility | −0.0210 | 0.0017 | 0.2891 | −0.4966 | 0.5000 | 48.1 | Normal Vol. Up from −0.290 on 29 Sep; the +15.8% day likely tips it positive |
Currently in Q4 Quiet Drift, held 19 consecutive periods. Volatility is within 0.05 of the axis (−0.021), so the quadrant call is provisional. ACN is on the boundary between Quiet Drift and Volatile Trend. As of 1 Oct 2026, 1 trading day behind.
| Quadrant | Label | % of period | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Volatile trend | 50.2% | Moves that extend; covered the Feb–Jun slide |
| Q2 | Volatile chop | 0.0% | Never visited |
| Q3 | Quiet range | 0.0% | Never visited; Persistency always positive |
| Q4 | Quiet drift | 49.8% | Low-volatility grind; historically most favourable for holding long |
| Transition | Count | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Volatile trend → Quiet drift | 7 | Volatility subsides after shocks |
| Quiet drift → Volatile trend | 6 | Shock days, including prints and AI headlines |
ACN has only alternated between Volatile Trend and Quiet Drift. Over the year, 21-day forward medians were −0.7% from Volatile Trend (47% positive) and −2.8% from Quiet Drift (38% positive), in a period when the stock fell 14%. Read these as relative, not absolute. As of 1 Oct 2026.
The series updates far less often than Volatility and can hold one value for weeks, producing long vertical runs on the trace. That is the data behaving normally. Positive Persistency means moves have tended to extend. After a +15.8% day that cuts both ways for the next 10–30 days: follow-through if the new direction holds, a sustained move lower if it fails. These statistics describe 6 Aug 2025 – 1 Oct 2026 and are not predictions.
| Factor | Correlation | R² (%) | Rolling 60d (current) | Rolling Min | Rolling Max | Stability | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Driver 1 Primary | 0.031 | 0.1 | 0.202 | −0.359 | 0.309 | Variable | Neutral |
| Market Driver 2 | 0.010 | 0.0 | −0.001 | −0.284 | 0.350 | Variable | Neutral |
| Market Driver 3 | −0.008 | 0.0 | −0.165 | −0.392 | 0.316 | Variable | Neutral |
| Market Driver 4 | 0.009 | 0.0 | 0.070 | −0.343 | 0.450 | Variable | Neutral |
| Market Driver 5 | 0.001 | 0.0 | 0.077 | −0.330 | 0.425 | Variable | Neutral |
| Sector Driver 1 Primary | −0.366 | 13.4 | −0.002 | −0.815 | 0.154 | Variable | Negative |
| Sector Driver 2 | 0.022 | 0.0 | −0.199 | −0.663 | 0.522 | Variable | Neutral |
| Sector Driver 3 | −0.063 | 0.4 | −0.008 | −0.402 | 0.435 | Variable | Negative |
Methodology: daily log returns of ACN against first-differenced Market Driver levels and return-scaled Sector Driver values. Full window 5 Oct 2021 – 1 Oct 2026, 1,253 observations; rolling window 60 days. Correlations are not coloured. Sector Driver 1's rolling correlation has moved from −0.82 at its most negative to −0.002 now, the weakest in the window. Market Driver 1's rolling reading (+0.202) is near the top of its range. Drivers as of 1 Oct 2026, 1 trading day behind the report date.
| Factor | Raw Beta | Standardised Beta | Share of Explained Variance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market Driver 1 (primary) | 0.00003 | 0.027 | 0.5% |
| Sector Driver 1 (primary) | −0.20573 | −0.366 | 99.5% |
ACN is an idiosyncratic name trading as part of an IT-services basket. Its one-year correlation is 0.85 with Cognizant but 0.08 with the S&P 500, and its usual sector link has faded to zero. For the next 10–30 days, neither an index hedge nor the broad tape will drive it. Sector-specific news on AI and services demand decides the month.
Market Driver 1 (blue) and Sector Driver 1 (orange) against ACN daily returns, Sep 2024 – Sep 2026. Sector Driver 1 has risen from about −0.5 in 2024–25 to about −0.1 by late September (−0.002 on the 1 Oct reading), so the normal sector relationship has broken down during the AI-disruption sell-off. Market Driver 1 is about +0.2. As of 1 Oct 2026.
ACN daily returns bucketed by each market group's regime quadrant. Window 8 Feb 2022 – 1 Oct 2026, 1,166 overlapping days. No bucket falls below 30 days, so none is marked thin. The statistics describe history, not the future.
| Market Regime | Days | % of Period | Cumulative Return | Ann. Return | Ann. Vol | Sharpe | Hit Rate | Best Day | Worst Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q4 Quiet Drift Current | 293 | 25.1% | +8.9% | +7.6% | 35.4% | 0.21 | 50.9% | +14.65% | −9.77% |
| Q3 Quiet Range | 290 | 24.9% | −4.7% | −4.1% | 30.6% | −0.13 | 50.7% | +7.97% | −10.08% |
| Q2 Volatile Chop | 413 | 35.4% | −10.9% | −6.8% | 30.5% | −0.22 | 50.1% | +7.44% | −7.54% |
| Q1 Volatile Trend | 170 | 14.6% | −33.3% | −45.1% | 37.7% | −1.19 | 45.9% | +5.75% | −19.80% |
| Market Regime | Days | % of Period | Cumulative Return | Ann. Return | Ann. Vol | Sharpe | Hit Rate | Best Day | Worst Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 Volatile Trend | 174 | 14.9% | +9.0% | +13.3% | 30.9% | 0.43 | 50.0% | +5.75% | −6.15% |
| Q3 Quiet Range | 354 | 30.4% | −3.4% | −2.4% | 30.2% | −0.08 | 51.7% | +7.97% | −10.08% |
| Q2 Volatile Chop | 409 | 35.1% | −24.8% | −16.1% | 30.2% | −0.53 | 48.7% | +7.44% | −7.54% |
| Q4 Quiet Drift Current | 229 | 19.6% | −22.1% | −24.0% | 42.0% | −0.57 | 48.9% | +14.65% | −19.80% |
| Market Regime | Days | % of Period | Cumulative Return | Ann. Return | Ann. Vol | Sharpe | Hit Rate | Best Day | Worst Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q4 Quiet Drift Current | 241 | 20.7% | +33.6% | +35.4% | 31.0% | 1.14 | 53.9% | +14.65% | −9.77% |
| Q2 Volatile Chop | 443 | 38.0% | −18.0% | −10.7% | 34.9% | −0.31 | 50.6% | +7.44% | −19.80% |
| Q3 Quiet Range | 342 | 29.3% | −31.2% | −24.1% | 33.6% | −0.72 | 48.5% | +7.97% | −10.08% |
| Q1 Volatile Trend | 140 | 12.0% | −18.1% | −30.1% | 27.5% | −1.09 | 43.6% | +5.04% | −6.15% |
Best row green, worst row red, ranked by Sharpe. Cumulative return is the compounded ACN return across all days spent in that regime. Market regimes as of 1 Oct 2026, 1 trading day behind.
| Group | Current Regime | Best Regime for ACN | Worst Regime | Cum. Return in Current | Sharpe in Current | Sharpe Spread | Days in Current |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US market | Q4 Quiet Drift | Q4 Quiet Drift | Q1 Volatile Trend | +8.9% | 0.21 | 1.40 | 20 |
| SP500 | Q4 Quiet Drift | Q1 Volatile Trend | Q4 Quiet Drift | −22.1% | −0.57 | 1.00 | 20 |
| Global market | Q4 Quiet Drift | Q4 Quiet Drift | Q1 Volatile Trend | +33.6% | 1.14 | 2.23 | 14 |
| Technology | Q3 Quiet Range | Q3 Quiet Range | Q1 Volatile Trend | +7.2% | 0.11 | 0.82 | 93 |
| Financials | Q1 Volatile Trend | Q1 Volatile Trend | Q3 Quiet Range | +24.9% | 1.08 | 1.88 | 8 |
| Energy | Q1 Volatile Trend | Q1 Volatile Trend | Q4 Quiet Drift | +31.3% | 0.66 | 2.47 | 69 |
| Utilities | Q2 Volatile Chop | Q2 Volatile Chop | Q4 Quiet Drift | +28.2% | 1.01 | 2.29 | 14 |
| Europe | Q1 Volatile Trend | Q3 Quiet Range | Q1 Volatile Trend | −18.4% | −0.57 | 1.74 | 13 |
| Gold | Q2 Volatile Chop | Q1 Volatile Trend | Q3 Quiet Range | −20.8% | −0.30 | 2.23 | 273 |
| VIX Near | Q4 Quiet Drift | Q1 Volatile Trend | Q3 Quiet Range | +19.5% | 1.18 | 2.51 | 23 |
| VIX Mid | Q4 Quiet Drift | Q4 Quiet Drift | Q3 Quiet Range | +22.5% | 0.46 | 1.67 | 104 |
| Bonds near | Q1 Volatile Trend | Q3 Quiet Range | Q4 Quiet Drift | −19.4% | −0.89 | 1.27 | 8 |
| Bonds mid | Q1 Volatile Trend | Q2 Volatile Chop | Q3 Quiet Range | −26.6% | −0.53 | 3.88 | 10 |
| Bonds long | Q2 Volatile Chop | Q2 Volatile Chop | Q3 Quiet Range | +41.9% | 0.89 | 1.95 | 3 |
All 14 mapped groups. Groups in bold have Sharpe spreads above 1.5, meaning ACN is materially sensitive to that group's regime. Sharpe spread is best-regime Sharpe minus worst-regime Sharpe. Market regimes as of 1 Oct 2026, 1 trading day behind.
Regime-conditional history describes 8 Feb 2022 – 1 Oct 2026, not the future. No regime bucket here holds fewer than 30 days. Where one does, annualised figures should not be relied on. Overlapping forward windows overstate the independence of observations. Market regime series as of 1 Oct 2026, 1 trading day behind the report date.
| Date | Headline | Sentiment |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Oct 26 | Accenture Q4 beats: revenue $18.7B vs $18.03B, EPS $3.29 vs $3.18 (Benzinga) | Positive |
| 1 Oct 26 | Accenture heads for its best day ever, closing +15.8% (CNBC, Motley Fool) | Positive |
| 1 Oct 26 | "AI threat?" Accenture posts a record 141 bookings over $100M (Benzinga) | Positive |
| 1 Oct 26 | FY27 outlook implies organic slowdown; ~$1B Middle East headwind and "lower pricing in many areas" (BigGo call summary) | Negative |
| 1 Oct 26 | Dividend raised 5% to $1.71; at least $9.5B of FY27 shareholder returns | Positive |
| 1 Oct 26 | Goldman reiterates Buy ($260); Evercore $250, Baird $245, Susquehanna $210 (MarketBeat) | Mixed |
| 25 Sep 26 | JPMorgan lifts target to $200 from $179 | Positive |
| 18 Sep 26 | Guggenheim downgrades to Neutral; Deutsche Bank target $175 | Negative |
| 14 Sep 26 | Wells Fargo downgrades to Equal Weight ($194); Morgan Stanley lifts to $175 | Mixed |
| 18 Jun 26 | Accenture falls a record 18–20% as FQ3 revenue misses and FY guide is cut to 3–4% LC; Capgemini −8% (Bloomberg, Investing.com) | Negative |
| Feb 26 | AI-disruption fears wipe $50B from Indian IT stocks; IT services sell off worldwide (Yahoo Finance) | Negative |
| Feb 26 | Cognizant CEO dismisses fears that Anthropic's AI will disrupt IT services (Storyboard18) | Neutral |
12 rows, newest first. The narrative has swung from "AI makes IT services obsolete" (Feb–Jun) to "AI is a bookings driver" (Oct). The October peer prints will test which story the numbers support.
| Field | Accenture plc | Peer context |
|---|---|---|
| Legal name | Accenture plc | — |
| Exchange / IPO | NYSE: ACN · IPO 2001 | IBM NYSE; Cognizant NASDAQ; Infosys NYSE ADR; EPAM NYSE |
| Domicile | Ireland (Dublin) | Cognizant US; Infosys India; EPAM US |
| Sector / industry | Information Technology · IT Consulting & Other Services | — |
| Market cap | $129.9B (611.9M shares × $212.30) | Second to IBM ($212.6B); 2.8× Infosys |
| Employees | ~814,000 | Largest in the sector; Cognizant 356,700 |
| TTM revenue | $74.18B (FY26 to 31 Aug 2026) | Largest pure-play IT services firm |
| Revenue model | Consulting ~50% / managed services ~50%; five industry groups (Communications, Media & Technology; Financial Services; Health & Public Service; Products; Resources); ~9,000 clients | Offshore peers skew to managed services |
| Key differentiators | Scale and C-suite access; ~110,000 AI and data staff; ecosystem partnerships across hyperscalers and AI labs; serial acquirer (~$5B a year) | IBM bundles software; Indian peers compete on cost |
| CIK | 0001467373 | — |
| Website | accenture.com | — |
The 1 October print removed the worst case of an AI-driven collapse in services demand: record large bookings, a beat above the top of the guide, and steady margins and cash returns. It did not upgrade the outlook. FY27 implies about 2% organic growth, Q1 is slightly below consensus, and at $212 the stock equals the consensus target. A supportive market-regime map argues for holding most of the gain. Peers decide whether it extends. The view turns bullish if analysts move targets toward $240–260 and the Infosys, IBM and Cognizant prints show stable pricing. It turns bearish if any of them flags AI-driven deflation and ACN loses $200.