Accenture shares surged 22% Thursday, putting the technology-services company on track for its best session on record after stronger results and an above-consensus growth outlook challenged one of the market’s most persistent artificial-intelligence disruption trades.
The company expects fiscal 2027 revenue to grow between 3% and 6% in local currency.
The midpoint of that range exceeds analysts’ average expectation of approximately 3.9%.
Fourth-quarter revenue reached $18.68 billion, above the roughly $18.03 billion expected by analysts, while new bookings increased 4% to $22.17 billion.
Consulting revenue increased 7% to $9.28 billion.
For the full fiscal year, Accenture generated approximately $74.2 billion in revenue, adjusted earnings of $13.97 per share and free cash flow of $11.6 billion.
The company expects fiscal 2027 GAAP diluted earnings of $14.39 to $14.81 per share and plans to return at least $9.5 billion to shareholders.
The market reaction extended well beyond Accenture.
Cognizant gained approximately 8%, IBM rose about 3%, while U.S.-listed shares of Wipro and Infosys advanced between 6% and 7%.
That breadth matters because IT-services companies have been among the clearest casualties of investor concern that generative AI could automate work traditionally performed by consultants and software engineers.
Accenture’s results complicate that thesis.
Corporate customers increasingly need outside expertise to integrate artificial intelligence into existing technology systems, automate workflows and redesign business processes.
That creates a potential source of new consulting demand even as AI improves the productivity of traditional technology work.
The risk has not disappeared.
Accenture said pricing was lower in many areas during the quarter as customers sought to capture some of the cost savings generated by artificial intelligence.
Management nevertheless sees enough opportunity to plan approximately $5 billion of acquisitions during fiscal 2027 based on its current pipeline.
Investors should now watch new bookings, consulting pricing and the rate at which AI-related projects translate into recurring revenue.
The central question for the sector is increasingly shifting from whether AI disrupts traditional IT services to which companies can turn that disruption into profitable transformation work.
