Consulting firm Accenture saw its shares surge on Thursday after reporting fourth-quarter revenues that surpassed its own targets. The New York-listed company's revenues for the quarter increased by six per cent, reaching $18.7bn (£14.1bn), which was above its projected range of $17.7bn (£13.4bn) to $18.4bn (£13.9bn).
The firm also reported an 8 per cent rise in adjusted earnings per share for the 2026 financial year, reaching $13.97 (£10.57), up from $12.93 (£9.78) in the previous financial year. This figure also exceeded analyst estimates.
In early trading, Accenture's shares climbed by more than 22 per cent, marking the company's largest single-day gain on record. This follows a year where the company's value had seen billions wiped due to concerns about the potential impact of AI on the consulting industry.
Accenture's chair and chief executive, Julie Sweet, stated that the company had concluded "another year of broad-based growth across our business." The company anticipates full-year revenue growth of between three and six per cent for the 2027 financial year and expects to return at least $9.5bn (£7.2bn) in cash to shareholders.
For its consulting practice, Accenture reported a six per cent increase in revenue for the quarter compared to the same period last year, reaching $9.3bn (£7bn).