Shares of Accenture slid nearly 7 percent on Friday after the global professional services giant reported lower-than-expected new bookings for its fiscal third quarter ending May 31, despite solid gains in revenue and profitability.
New bookings declined 6 percent year-on-year to USD19.7 billion, falling short of analysts’ expectations of USD21.5 billion. The new bookings were split to USD9.08 billion in consulting and USD10.62 billion in managed services.
The market reacted swiftly, pushing Accenture shares down 6.9 percent to USD285.37 at the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
Lost in the market’s immediate reaction, however, were several strong underlying metrics. Revenue for the quarter rose 8 percent to USD17.73 billion, while operating margins improved by 80 basis points to 16.8 percent. Diluted earnings per share jumped 15 percent to USD3.49.
Accenture also raised its full-year revenue growth forecast to 6 percent, up from the previous estimate of 5 percent, signaling continued confidence in long-term demand, particularly in technology services and AI-driven transformation.
“I am very pleased with our third quarter fiscal 2025 results, including our 30 clients with quarterly bookings greater than $100 million, broad-based growth, and continued expansion of our leadership in Gen AI,” said Julie Sweet, Accenture chair and chief executive officer, in a statement.
“Companies need resilience and results, and we are laser-focused on delivering measurable value,” she added, crediting the firm’s 790,000 employees for driving performance through a combination of technology and human ingenuity.
