Accenture tumbles 16% on guidance cut; announces Dragos, runZero, NetRise deals
Investing.com -- Accenture (NYSE: ACN) shares tumbled 16% in premarket trading Thursday after the company trimmed its full-year revenue growth outlook. The firm also announced a roughly $4.175 billion acquisition spree in the cybersecurity space.
For its fiscal third quarter, Accenture posted adjusted earnings per share of $3.80, beating the analyst consensus estimate of $3.72. Revenue came in at $18.7 billion, slightly below the consensus estimate of $18.78 billion, rising 6% in U.S. dollars and 3% in local currency from a year earlier.
New bookings totaled $19.3 billion, compared with $19.7 billion in the same quarter last year. Operating margin expanded 20 basis points to 17.0%.
For fiscal 2026, Accenture guided to earnings per share of $13.78 to $13.90, versus a consensus estimate of $13.80. The company now expects full-year revenue growth of 3% to 4% in local currency, down from the previous outlook of 3% to 5%. Excluding an estimated 1% impact from its U.S. federal business, Accenture forecasts 4% to 5% growth for the year.
Accenture continues to expect free cash flow in the range of $10.8 billion to $11.5 billion.
Alongside its results, the company said it has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Dragos and all of runZero and NetRise, in transactions with a combined enterprise value of approximately $4.175 billion. The deals are expected to close in August or September 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.
"Our agreement to acquire a majority stake in Dragos and all of runZero and NetRise, leaders in OT Security, is the type of move that defines our strategy: it is expanding our addressable market, creating a new platform-led growth opportunity, and is positioning Accenture at the center of one of the most critical cybersecurity challenges our clients face," said Accenture Chair and CEO Julie Sweet.