Accenture (ACN) Advances But Underperforms Market: Key Facts

The latest trading session saw Accenture (ACN) ending at $318.82, denoting a +0.55% adjustment from its last day's close. The stock's performance was behind the S&P 500's daily gain of 2.13%. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a rise of 1.65%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw an increase of 2.61%.Shares of the consulting company witnessed a loss of 18.6% over the previous month, trailing the performance of the Computer and Technology sector with its loss of 13.29% and the S&P 500's loss of 9.57%.The upcoming earnings release of Accenture will be of great interest to investors. The company's earnings report is expected on March 20, 2025. The company is forecasted to report an EPS of $2.84, showcasing a 2.53% upward movement from the corresponding quarter of the prior year. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $16.58 billion, up 4.91% from the year-ago period.ACN's full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates are calling for earnings of $12.72 per share and revenue of $68.55 billion. These results would represent year-over-year changes of +6.44% and +5.64%, respectively.Additionally, investors should keep an eye on any recent revisions to analyst forecasts for Accenture. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the company's business outlook.Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-team stock moves. To take advantage of this, we've established the Zacks Rank, an exclusive model that considers these estimated changes and delivers an operational rating system.The Zacks Rank system, stretching from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has a noteworthy track record of outperforming, validated by third-party audits, with stocks rated #1 producing an average annual return of +25% since the year 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.09% lower. Currently, Accenture is carrying a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).In the context of valuation, Accenture is at present trading with a Forward P/E ratio of 24.94. This signifies a premium in comparison to the average Forward P/E of 21.64 for its industry.It is also worth noting that ACN currently has a PEG ratio of 2.81. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. As of the close of trade yesterday, the Computers - IT Services industry held an average PEG ratio of 1.98.The Computers - IT Services industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 86, finds itself in the top 35% echelons of all 250+ industries.The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the vigor of our specific industry groups by computing the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks incorporated in the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Zacks.com.Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.This top pick is among the most innovative financial firms. With a fast-growing customer base (already 50+ million) and a diverse set of cutting edge solutions, this stock is poised for big gains. Of course, all our elite picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Nano-X Imaging which shot up +129.6% in little more than 9 months.Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Accenture PLC (ACN): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks