Accenture plc (ACN) is about to show its cards. The Dublin-based consulting giant reports first quarter earnings before the market opens on Thursday, December 18, and Wall Street's most accurate analysts have been recalibrating their forecasts.
The consensus view expects Accenture to post earnings of $3.72 per share, up from $3.59 in the same quarter last year. Revenue is projected at $18.53 million, compared to $17.69 million a year ago.
Timing-wise, the earnings come right after Accenture made a strategic move on Tuesday, agreeing to acquire a majority stake in DLB Associates, a US-based AI data center engineering and consulting firm. The stock dipped 1% that day, closing at $272.04.
What the Top Analysts Are Saying
Here's where things get interesting. When you filter for Wall Street's most accurate analysts, the picture shows both enthusiasm and caution. These aren't just any analysts throwing darts at price targets—these are forecasters with proven track records.
The most bullish recent call came from Morgan Stanley analyst James Faucette, who upgraded Accenture from Equal-Weight to Overweight on December 16, pushing his price target from $271 to $320. Faucette has a 63% accuracy rate.
Citigroup analyst Bryan Keane took a more measured approach when he initiated coverage on October 22 with a Neutral rating and a $266 price target. Keane's accuracy rate stands at 69%.
On the bearish side of recent moves, Mizuho analyst Dan Dolev maintained his Outperform rating but trimmed his target from $348 to $309 on September 29. His accuracy rate is 67%.
BMO Capital analyst Keith Bachman, who boasts the highest accuracy rate of this group at 77%, maintained a Market Perform rating while cutting his target from $325 to $270 on September 26. That's a significant reduction from one of the most reliable voices covering the stock.
Meanwhile, Baird analyst David Koning kept his Outperform rating but lowered his price target from $350 to $330 on September 26. Koning's accuracy rate is 71%.
The spread in these targets tells you something: even among Wall Street's best, there's genuine disagreement about where Accenture is headed. The range runs from Citigroup's cautious $266 to Morgan Stanley's optimistic $320—a pretty wide band for a company of this size and maturity.