Accenture plc (ACN) earnings on October 1, 2026

Before the market opens Q2 2026

More Accenture plc earnings

Prior outlook: Pessimistic Outcome: Missed

Accenture shares jumped 16% after reporting stronger quarterly results. The stock had climbed as much as 24% during the day before finishing with those gains.

ACN price around the earnings

212.30

Change: +15.8%

2026-10-01, 20:00 UTC

Start of the measured window End of the measured window
183.37 198.03 212.70 227.36 183.37
Price series around the eventClosing price per minute from before the event to the end of the measured window.
October 1, 2026
  • Price: green if it ends above the starting price; red if it ends below
  • Start of the measured window
  • End of the measured window
  • Market open
  • Starting price
Price series around the event

Prior thesis

Prior outlook: Pessimistic Outcome: Missed

Thesis published
Results released

Technical weakness outweighs analyst optimism

Despite some analyst optimism, with analysts citing a price target, the stock's technical picture shows clear weakness — it's lagging the market and sitting near its yearly low. Past earnings reactions have been negative, and this structural weakness outweighed the positive sentiment.

Context analyzed before publication

Summary
Technical weakness outweighs analyst optimism
Playbook
The stock has underperformed the market over the past month and cases near its 52-week low. Analysts cite modest growth expectations and maintain a buy rating, but historical earnings reactions were sharply negative. Expert sentiment has shifted decisively negative over the past week.
Trend
Expert opinion turned sharply more negative

Analysts

Drivers

  • Analysts Positive

    The price target at $193 is cited by analysts, who maintain a buy recommendation despite recent downgrades.

Evidence

Analyst consensus
Buy
Consensus average (1-5)
2.22
Analysts covering the stock
24
Average price target
193.03
Lowest price target
130
Highest price target
275
Upside to price target
5.3%
Quarterly earnings growth
6.4%
Revenue growth
5.6%
Forward EPS
14.67
Trailing EPS
12.96
Analyst moves in the last 60 days
10
  • Strong buy: 3
  • Buy: 9
  • Hold: 15
  • Sell: 0
  • Strong sell: 0
Strong buy
3
Buy
9
Hold
15
Sell
0
Strong sell
0
  • September 28, 2026 · Susquehanna: Maintains rating (Neutral → Neutral)
  • September 25, 2026 · JP Morgan: Maintains rating (Overweight → Overweight)
  • September 23, 2026 · BMO Capital: Maintains rating (Market Perform → Market Perform)
  • September 18, 2026 · Deutsche Bank: Maintains rating (Hold → Hold)
  • September 18, 2026 · Guggenheim: Downgrades rating (Buy → Neutral)
  • September 14, 2026 · Morgan Stanley: Maintains rating (Equal-Weight → Equal-Weight)
  • September 14, 2026 · Wells Fargo: Downgrades rating (Overweight → Equal-Weight)
  • August 26, 2026 · TD Cowen: Maintains rating (Hold → Hold)
  • August 25, 2026 · Wolfe Research: Maintains rating (Outperform → Outperform)
  • August 24, 2026 · Citigroup: Maintains rating (Neutral → Neutral)

News and sentiment

Evidence

Sentiment
Sentiment
Cautious
Mention volume
High
Normalized volume
99%
Messages
30
News
Sources (6)

Technicals

Drivers

  • Technical Negative

    The stock dropped 3.4% over the past month, underperforming the broader market by nearly 3%, and now cases near its lowest point in a year.

Evidence

Price when the context was analyzed
183.35
Average true range (ATR)
3.6%
Distance to 52-week high
-35.1%
14-day change (14d)
-3.4%
30-day change (30d)
-3.4%
30-day relative strength
-2.8%
SPY change (30d)
-0.6%
Nearest support
182.49
Distance to nearest support
0.5%
Nearest resistance
184.38
Distance to nearest resistance
0.6%
Volume accumulation ratio (14d / 46d)
0.87
  • Mid: 182.49 (0.5% away, 0.13 ATR, 21 touches)
  • Major: 180.7 (1.5% away, 0.41 ATR, 34 touches)
  • Minor: 178.66 (2.6% away, 0.72 ATR, 3 touches)
  • Mid: 184.38 (0.6% away, 0.16 ATR, 11 touches)
  • Mid: 185.65 (1.3% away, 0.35 ATR, 22 touches)
  • Mid: 188.07 (2.6% away, 0.72 ATR, 24 touches)

Trends

Evidence

Average earnings surprise
+3.4%
  • June 18, 2026: actual EPS 3.8 vs estimate 3.71 (surprise +2.5%)
  • March 19, 2026: actual EPS 2.93 vs estimate 2.84 (surprise +3.3%)
  • December 18, 2025: actual EPS 3.94 vs estimate 3.72 (surprise +5.9%)
  • September 25, 2025: actual EPS 3.03 vs estimate 2.97 (surprise +2.0%)

Expected move

Drivers

  • Past earnings Negative

    The stock suffered an 18% drop after its June earnings report, and the recent track record of earnings reactions has been deteriorating.

Implied move
+8.9%
Source
Options chain

Reactions over its last 20 earnings

Median move
5%
75th percentile move
7.2%
90th percentile move
7.6%
Up / down moves
7 / 13
Average up move
+5.8%
Average down move
-4.7%

Monitoring and close

What Accenture plc reported

Status
Finished
Actual EPS3.29
EPS estimate3.18
EPS surprise+3.5%
Revenue$18,700 million
Revenue estimate$18,030 million
Revenue surprise+3.7%

Accenture jumped 22% after Q4 revenue of $18.68B and EPS of $3.29 beat estimates. Unity Software rose in sympathy with the strong results.

Sources (50)

Pre-market second reading after the results

Verdict
Beat expectations

Heading into the open, Results beat expectations on both earnings and revenue and the price is indicating +16.7% pre-market, a move 3x the stock's usual reaction (about 5%). The figures overturn the prior pessimistic scenario. Across our market history, in the 1,090 similar cases the close held that direction 95% of the time.

How the stock reacted

Outcome
Missed
Consolidated
+15.9%
Max favorable move (MFE)
0%
Max adverse move (MAE)
24.1%