Accenture Q1 revenue up 6% to $18.7 bn; AI bookings surge 76%

Global IT services and consulting major Accenture on Thursday, December 18, reported a 6% year-on-year increase in revenue to $18.7 billion for the September-November quarter of FY26, coming in at the upper end of the company’s guided range.

Accenture follows a September-August financial year.

The company posted new bookings of $20.9 billion during the quarter, marking a 12% rise in US dollar terms and 10% growth in local currency. The quarter saw strong deal activity, including 33 large deals with

quarterly bookings of over $100 million each.

Advanced AI-led demand remained robust, with Accenture reporting advanced AI new bookings of $2.2 billion, up 76% year-on-year. Revenues from advanced AI stood at $1.1 billion, registering a sharp 120% annual growth. The company said it now has over 1,300 advanced AI clients and is nearing its target of 80,000 AI and data professionals.

Regionally, revenues from the Americas rose 4% to $9.08 billion, while EMEA grew 8% to $6.94 billion. The Asia Pacific region contributed $2.73 billion, up 7% from the year-ago period.

On profitability, operating margin declined 140 basis points to 15.3%, reflecting continued investments in talent and technology. Gross margin for the quarter improved marginally to 33.1%, compared with 32.9% in the corresponding quarter last year.

Diluted earnings per share (EPS) came in at $3.54, down 1% on a reported basis, though 10% higher than adjusted EPS.

The company generated free cash flow of $1.5 billion during the quarter.

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