Accenture (ACN) Stock Plummets 25% in Historic Selloff Following Disappointing Bookings

Key Takeaways

• ACN shares plummeted 18% immediately following fiscal Q3 earnings, finishing the week down approximately 25% in the company’s worst-ever weekly decline
• TD Cowen downgraded the stock to Hold from Buy, reducing its price target from $258 to $150
• New bookings contracted 3% quarter-over-quarter, with executives attributing the decline to major deals being postponed to fiscal 2027
• Both Truist and Jefferies lowered their price targets, with Truist noting approximately $100M in revenue headwinds from Middle East geopolitical tensions
• Fourteen analysts have reduced earnings projections; while no analysts currently recommend selling ACN, none identify immediate catalysts for recovery

Accenture (ACN) shares were hovering around $120–$123 on Monday, continuing a devastating selloff from last week that erased nearly 25% of the stock’s value — marking the most severe weekly decline in company history.

Accenture plc, ACN

The collapse started Thursday when ACN plunged 18% to close at $127.98 following the release of fiscal Q3 earnings. The company reported revenue of $18.7 billion, narrowly missing the consensus estimate of $18.78 billion, while adjusted earnings per share of $3.80 exceeded the $3.72 projection. However, the earnings beat failed to compensate for disappointing forward guidance and a 3% sequential decline in new bookings.

TD Cowen analyst Bryan Bergin spearheaded Monday’s analyst downgrades, reducing ACN from Buy to Hold and slashing his price target from $258 down to $150.

“Our thesis anticipating stability before eventual recovery proved incorrect,” Bergin acknowledged. He stated there was no defensible justification for maintaining a positive recommendation “given the deteriorating fundamentals.”

The bookings shortfall proved most concerning. Bergin characterized the 3% decline as completely unexpected — his forecast had anticipated at least marginal growth.

Company leadership attributed the weakness to multiple large contracts being deferred into fiscal 2027. However, Bergin observed that even accounting for an estimated $1 billion in timing-related shortfalls, managed services bookings would still have registered negative growth — an outcome he believes would have disappointed investors regardless.

Wall Street Continues Slashing Price Targets

Truist Securities reduced its price objective to $150 from $210 while maintaining a Hold rating. The firm highlighted approximately $100 million in revenue disruption stemming from Middle East geopolitical instability, with impacts anticipated to persist through Q4 and possibly longer.

Truist had previously downgraded ACN several weeks ago, citing constrained client budgets, AI-related revenue displacement, and geopolitical uncertainties. Spillover effects from Iranian tensions emerged during the closing weeks of Q3, and the firm anticipates further lengthening of client decision timelines.

Jefferies analyst Surinder Thind likewise trimmed his price target, lowering it to $130 from $185 while retaining his Hold stance. He had identified weakening demand trends as early as March. Thind pointed to reduced revenue and earnings forecasts for calendar year 2027 and emphasized that geopolitical pressures are compounding already subdued discretionary technology spending.

RBC Capital decreased its target to $175 from $253. Guggenheim made a smaller adjustment to $185 from $225 while preserving its Buy recommendation.

Current Analyst Consensus

Among 30 firms monitored by FactSet, 17 maintain Buy or Overweight ratings on ACN. The other 13 assign Hold ratings. Currently, zero analysts rate the stock as a Sell.

Nevertheless, 14 analysts have lowered their earnings projections for the coming period, according to InvestingPro data. The stock is trading near its 52-week low of $125.60, with RSI indicators suggesting the shares have entered oversold conditions.

CEO Julie Sweet identified Middle East geopolitical tensions as a contributing factor to quarterly underperformance. The company has simultaneously maintained its acquisition strategy focused on cybersecurity capabilities and established partnerships with OpenAI and Anthropic to develop agentic AI solutions.

ACN stock was changing hands at $120.85 Monday afternoon, declining approximately 5.6% for the session.