Accenture (NYSE: ACN) reported first-quarter results that exceeded Wall Street expectations, with revenue growth at the upper end of guidance and robust new bookings, though shares fell more than 2% intra-day on Thursday.

The professional services firm posted adjusted earnings per share of $3.94 for the quarter ended November 30, 2025, beating analyst estimates of $3.74. Revenue reached $18.7 billion, representing 5% growth in local currency and 6% growth in U.S. dollars year over year, and surpassing the consensus forecast of $18.51 billion.

New bookings increased 10% in local currency to $20.9 billion, including $2.2 billion in advanced AI-related bookings. Accenture reported 33 clients with quarterly bookings exceeding $100 million each, underscoring strong demand across its service offerings.

Adjusted operating margin expanded by 30 basis points to 17.0%, while free cash flow totaled $1.5 billion. The company returned $3.3 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases during the quarter.

For fiscal 2026, Accenture maintained its revenue growth outlook of 2% to 5% in local currency. Excluding an estimated 1% impact from its U.S. federal business, revenue growth was expected to range between 3% and 6%. The company reaffirmed its adjusted earnings guidance of $13.52 to $13.90 per share, broadly in line with the consensus estimate of $13.77.