Accenture Lays Out Growth Plan as Investors Weigh AI Risks

Accenture presented a three-year plan targeting mid-single-digit local-currency revenue growth in fiscal 2027 and 2028, rising to mid-to-high single digits in fiscal 2029. The company also projected annual operating margin gains of 10 to 30 basis points and about $5.5 billion of buybacks in fiscal 2027. Despite the plan, the stock trades at 14.57 times forward normalized earnings, well below its five-year average, and analysts have raised targets without broadly upgrading the shares.

Accenture’s investor-day presentation followed an 8-K filing and arrived after a volatile stretch. The shares rose about 2% intraday to roughly $217, after premarket gains of about 4% and then surrendering half that advance. The stock had gained 16% on October 1 when fourth-quarter revenue of $18.68 billion exceeded the company’s guidance ceiling, yet remained down 19% year to date.

Management’s three-year outlook calls for local-currency revenue growth in the mid-single digits in fiscal 2027 and 2028, then mid-to-high single digits in 2029. It also projects yearly operating-margin improvement of 10 to 30 basis points from fiscal 2026’s adjusted 15.8%, $5.5 billion of fiscal 2027 buybacks, and acquisitions contributing 2% to 2.5% of fiscal 2027 revenue.