Accenture Earnings Top Views, But it Provides Cautious Forecasts; Revenue Gains in Consulting, Outsourcing Businesses Drive Profits
Accenture PLC said its fiscal fourth-quarter profit rose 4.5%, driven by gains in revenue in both its consulting and outsourcing businesses.</br></br>The company's results surpassed expectations, though its forecast for the current fiscal year's per-share earnings fell short of analysts' estimates.</br></br>For the new year, the company projected earnings between $4.74 and $4.88, with revenue growth of 4% to 7%. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters were expecting earnings of $4.91 a share, with revenue growth of 6%</br></br>Accenture provides consulting services to large, multinational technology firms such as International Business Machines Corp. Its earnings have grown steadily in recent years, while its outsourcing business has enjoyed strong growth in revenue.</br></br>For the period ended Aug. 31, the consulting unit's net revenue rose 6% to $4 billion in constant currency, while revenue from outsourcing jumped 15% to $3.8 billion.