Accenture
ACN on NYSE. Accenture sells consulting and technology services to businesses and governments. Market value $218.3bn.
Price checks use the past 12 months to May 2026. Quality checks use five annual reports, the latest for the year to August 2025.
Should I look at this?
Worth a closer look
Why it could be worth it
What to watch out for
Nothing stood out in the numbers we check.
This is not advice. Check the numbers below.
For every $100 of what the whole company costs, it produced $10.20 of spare cash in the past 12 months. A savings account pays about $4.
You pay 11.2 years of operating profit for the business. The average large US company costs around 18.
Each dollar kept in the business earns 41 cents a year. Above 10 is good.
Quality score: 99 of 100. Price score: 100 of 100. Our list needs 70 on quality and 60 on price.
$195.05 a share, 65% above its 1-year low
Over the past year the price has ranged from $118.15 to $291.09.
Dividend: 3.0% a year
Paid every year for at least 5 years
Prices from Monday’s close (5 October).
Five years of cash, in billions
| Revenue | |||||
| Revenue | $50.5bn | $61.6bn | $64.1bn | $64.9bn | $69.7bn |
| Operating margin | |||||
| Operating margin | 15.1% | 15.2% | 13.7% | 14.8% | 14.7% |
| Debt to equity | |||||
| Debt to equity | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.04 | 0.17 |
| Shares outstanding | |||||
| Shares outstanding | 0.65bn | 0.64bn | 0.64bn | 0.64bn | 0.63bn |
Health checks
- Free cash flow positive5 of 5 years
- Accounting looks honest (Beneish)Nothing unusual
- Financial strength (Piotroski)5 of 8 checks we could run
- Profit backed by cash (accruals)Yes
- Debt0.17× equity
- Revenue growth, five yearsSlow, 9.5% a year
- Buying back its own sharesYes, 2% fewer since 2021
The quarter to May 2026
How the business did, compared with the same quarter a year earlier.
- Sales: $18.7 billion last quarter, up 6% on a year ago.
- Profit: $2.3 billion, up 6% on a year ago.
- It keeps 14 cents of each $1 of sales as operating profit, down from 15 cents a year earlier.
- Spare cash over the past 12 months: $12.6 billion, up from $10.2 billion.
- 2% fewer shares than a year ago. Each share owns a bit more of the company.
- It has $5 billion more cash than debt, up from $4.5 billion a year ago.
- Sales grew on a year ago in each of the last 4 quarters.
| Quarter to | Amount |
|---|---|
| August 2024 | $16.4bn |
| November 2024 | $17.7bn |
| February 2025 | $16.7bn |
| May 2025 | $17.7bn |
| August 2025 | $17.6bn |
| November 2025 | $18.7bn |
| February 2026 | $18.0bn |
| May 2026 | $18.7bn |
| Quarter to | Amount |
|---|---|
| August 2024 | $1.7bn |
| November 2024 | $2.3bn |
| February 2025 | $1.8bn |
| May 2025 | $2.2bn |
| August 2025 | $1.4bn |
| November 2025 | $2.2bn |
| February 2026 | $1.8bn |
| May 2026 | $2.3bn |
From the company's quarterly reports to the SEC.
Dates
- Next results (estimated)
- 17 December 2026
- Last annual report (10-K)
- 10 October 2025
- Next quarterly (estimated, 10-Q)
- 17 September 2026
Who owns it
24 long-term investors we follow own it, unchanged from 24 last quarter. 1,893 funds in all.
- Markel GroupTom Gayner
- Value
- $20m
- Share of fund
- 0.2%
- Gotham Asset ManagementJoel Greenblatt
- Value
- $13m
- Share of fund
- <0.1%
Sold out this quarter
Largest holders overall
- BlackRock$7.7bnAdded
- Vanguard Capital Management$5.0bn
- Banque Cantonale Vaudoise$4.8bnAdded
- State Street$3.8bnAdded
- Charles Schwab Investment Management$2.7bnAdded
- Vanguard Portfolio Management$2.5bn
- Geode Capital Management$2.0bn
- Morgan Stanley$1.5bnAdded
- JPMorgan Chase$1.2bnCut
- Franklin Resources$973mAdded
From 13F filings for the quarter ended 30 June 2026.
Big holders and activists
2 investors own more than 5%.
- BlackRock, Inc.Passive investor8.3%Since 31 December 2025
- Vanguard Capital ManagementPassive investor7.5%Since 31 March 2026
- The Vanguard GroupPassive investorSold down below 5%Since 13 March 2026
| Holder | Stake | Since | |
|---|---|---|---|
BlackRock, Inc. Passive investor | 8.3% | 31 December 2025 | |
Vanguard Capital Management Passive investor | 7.5% | 31 March 2026 | |
The Vanguard Group Passive investor | Sold down below 5% | 13 March 2026 |
From Schedule 13D and 13G filings: anyone owning more than 5% must file one.
What insiders did
No insider bought shares on the open market in the last 12 months. 10 sold $19m, $19m of it under preset trading plans.
- Clifford Katherine LeeChief Leadership & HR OfficerSold
- Date
- 14 August 2026
- Shares
- 68
- Price
- $175.97
- Value
- $11,966
- Unruch JoelGeneral Counsel/Corp SecretarySoldunder a preset trading plan
- Date
- 30 July 2026
- Shares
- 10,498
- Price
- $162.98
- Value
- $2m
- Egawa AtsushiCo-CEO Asia PacificSoldunder a preset trading plan
- Date
- 30 April 2026
- Shares
- 4,872
- Price
- $177.14
- Value
- $863,033
- Sweet Julie SpellmanChair and CEO, DirectorSoldunder a preset trading plan
- Date
- 10 February 2026
- Shares
- 6,057
- Price
- $241.23
- Value
- $1m
- Walsh John FCEO-The AmericasSoldunder a preset trading plan
- Date
- 4 February 2026
- Shares
- 14
- Price
- $242.04
- Value
- $3,389
- Sharma ManishChief Strategy & Services OfcrSoldunder a preset trading plan
- Date
- 3 February 2026
- Shares
- 98
- Price
- $250.36
- Value
- $24,535
- Sweet Julie SpellmanChair and CEO, DirectorSoldunder a preset trading plan
- Date
- 3 February 2026
- Shares
- 5,500
- Price
- $242.39
- Value
- $1m
- Burgum Melissa AChief Accounting OfficerSoldunder a preset trading plan
- Date
- 3 February 2026
- Shares
- 15
- Price
- $250.43
- Value
- $3,756
- Walsh John FCEO-The AmericasSoldunder a preset trading plan
- Date
- 27 January 2026
- Shares
- 3,986
- Price
- $276.38
- Value
- $1m
- Clifford Katherine LeeChief Leadership & HR OfficerSoldunder a preset trading plan
- Date
- 26 January 2026
- Shares
- 787
- Price
- $280.79
- Value
- $220,985
| Date | Who | Did | Shares | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 August 2026 | Clifford Katherine Lee Chief Leadership & HR Officer | Sold | 68 | $175.97 | $11,966 |
| 30 July 2026 | Unruch Joel General Counsel/Corp Secretary | Sold under a preset trading plan | 10,498 | $162.98 | $2m |
| 30 April 2026 | Egawa Atsushi Co-CEO Asia Pacific | Sold under a preset trading plan | 4,872 | $177.14 | $863,033 |
| 10 February 2026 | Sweet Julie Spellman Chair and CEO, Director | Sold under a preset trading plan | 6,057 | $241.23 | $1m |
| 4 February 2026 | Walsh John F CEO-The Americas | Sold under a preset trading plan | 14 | $242.04 | $3,389 |
| 3 February 2026 | Sharma Manish Chief Strategy & Services Ofcr | Sold under a preset trading plan | 98 | $250.36 | $24,535 |
| 3 February 2026 | Sweet Julie Spellman Chair and CEO, Director | Sold under a preset trading plan | 5,500 | $242.39 | $1m |
| 3 February 2026 | Burgum Melissa A Chief Accounting Officer | Sold under a preset trading plan | 15 | $250.43 | $3,756 |
| 27 January 2026 | Walsh John F CEO-The Americas | Sold under a preset trading plan | 3,986 | $276.38 | $1m |
| 26 January 2026 | Clifford Katherine Lee Chief Leadership & HR Officer | Sold under a preset trading plan | 787 | $280.79 | $220,985 |
From Form 4 filings: insiders must report trades in their own company's shares within two days.
Warning signs in its filings
Problems the company itself reported to the SEC, in its own words.
None of the warning signs we check for were found.
We look for five warning signs: doubt it can keep going, weak checks on its own accounts, a notice that its past accounts can't be relied on, a change of auditor, and one customer bringing in a big share of sales. We don't check lawsuits, investigations or debt yet.
We checked the auditor's report, internal controls, restatement notices, auditor changes and big customers in the 10-K filed 10 Oct 2025, plus the 10-Q filed 18 Jun 2026 and 8 later 8-Ks.
A 10-K is the yearly report every US company files with the SEC. An 8-K is a short notice of a big event.
What could go wrong
Cheap for a reason is the question the numbers cannot answer.
Whether the price already reflects the risks is what the deep dive is for.
What changed in the risks this year
Companies must list what could hurt them each year. These are the parts that changed since last year’s report.
Our work with government clients exposes us to additional risks inherent in the government contracting environment.
Already happened• In 2025, the U.S. administration began efforts to reduce federal spending and the size of the federal workforce under the guidance of the Department of Government Efficiency. In addition, the General Services Administration (GSA)–the U.S. federal procurement agency–has instructed all federal agencies to review their contracts with consulting firms and technology product resellers contracting with the U.S. federal government, including AFS. These and similar spending reductions and contract reviews have resulted in and are likely to continue to result in contract terminations, delays and cancellations of new procurements, and reductions in price and contract scope at AFS as well as at other state and local governments, all of which have had an adverse effect on AFS’s results, and could in the future have a material impact on our results of operations or financial condition.
Read moreOur work with government clients exposes us to additional risks inherent in the government contracting environment.
Could happen• On January 21, 2025, an executive order was issued requiring U.S. federal contractors to certify that they do not operate any programs promoting diversity, equity and inclusion that violate any applicable federal anti-discrimination laws. Additionally, various U.S federal and state government agencies and departments may initiate legal proceedings asserting our actions or programs violate the U.S False Claims Act, civil rights laws or other similar federal or state orders, laws or regulations. A violation of these or similar federal or state orders, laws or regulations, may expose us to penalties and sanctions discussed above and jeopardize our ability to continue to do work with the U.S. federal government and certain state governments, which may materially adversely affect our future results of operations.
Read more
The deep dive
Everything above is arithmetic on public filings. The deep dive reads the last ten years of annual reports, the proxy statements, and the earnings calls, then argues the case the way Buffett, Klarman, and Hohn would, and checks every claim against the source.
- What the business is worth, as a range, and the margin of safety at today’s price
- Prices to start buying, buy, and buy hard
- The three things that would make this a mistake
- Every number footnoted to the filing it came from
Your first deep dive is free.
Not advice. Numbers on this page come from SEC filings and are updated each night; prices are updated again after the US market closes. The five-year figures are rounded.