Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Accenture plc Class A ordinary shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “ACN.” The New York Stock Exchange is the principal United States market for these shares. As of October 2, 2026, there were 354 holders of record of Accenture plc Class A ordinary shares.
There is no trading market for Accenture plc Class X ordinary shares. As of October 2, 2026, there were 13 holders of record of Accenture plc Class X ordinary shares.
Dividends
For information about our dividend activity during fiscal 2026, see Note 14 (Shareholders’ Equity) to our Consolidated Financial Statements under Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”
On September 30, 2026, the Board of Directors of Accenture plc declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.71 per share on our Class A ordinary shares for shareholders of record at the close of business on October 13, 2026, payable on November 13, 2026. For the remainder of fiscal 2027, we expect to declare additional quarterly dividends in December 2026 and March and June 2027, to be paid in February, May and August 2027, respectively, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.
In certain circumstances, as an Irish tax resident company, we may be required to deduct Irish dividend withholding tax (“DWT”) (currently at the rate of 25%) from dividends paid to our shareholders. Shareholders resident in “relevant territories” (including countries that are European Union member states (other than Ireland), the United States and other countries with which Ireland has a tax treaty) may be exempted from Irish DWT. However, shareholders residing in other countries will generally be subject to Irish DWT.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
None.
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ACCENTURE 2026 FORM 10-K
Part II
29
Purchases of Accenture plc Class A Ordinary Shares
The following table provides information relating to our purchases of Accenture plc Class A ordinary shares during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026. For year-to-date information on all of our share purchases, redemptions and exchanges and further discussion of our share purchase activity, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Share Purchases and Redemptions.”
Period Total Number of
Shares
Purchased Average
Price Paid
per Share (1) Total Number of
Shares Purchased as
Part of Publicly
Announced Plans or
Programs (2) Approximate Dollar Value
of Shares that May Yet Be
Purchased Under the Plans or
Programs (3)
(in millions of U.S. dollars)
June 1, 2026 — June 30, 2026 9,563,952 $ 127.63 9,457,424 $ 2,044
July 1, 2026 — July 31, 2026 8,056,994 136.85 8,037,161 944
August 1, 2026 — August 31, 2026 25,909 163.33 — 944
Total (4) 17,646,855 $ 131.89 17,494,585
(1) Average price paid per share reflects the total cash outlay for the period, divided by the number of shares acquired, including those acquired by purchase or redemption for cash and any acquired by means of employee forfeiture.
(2) Since August 2001, the Board of Directors of Accenture plc has authorized and periodically confirmed a publicly announced open-market share purchase program for acquiring Accenture plc Class A ordinary shares. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, we purchased 17,494,585 Accenture plc Class A ordinary shares under this program for an aggregate price of $2,300 million. The open-market purchase program does not have an expiration date.
(3) As of August 31, 2026, our aggregate available authorization for share purchases and redemptions was $944 million, which management has the discretion to use for either our publicly announced open-market share purchase program or our other share purchase programs. Since August 2001 and as of August 31, 2026, the Board of Directors of Accenture plc has authorized an aggregate of $59.1 billion for share purchases and redemptions by Accenture plc and Accenture Canada Holdings Inc. On September 30, 2026, the Board of Directors of Accenture plc approved $6,000 million in additional share repurchase authority, bringing Accenture’s total outstanding authority to $6,944 million.
(4) During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, Accenture purchased 152,270 Accenture plc Class A ordinary shares in transactions unrelated to publicly announced share plans or programs. These transactions consisted of acquisitions of Accenture plc Class A ordinary shares primarily via share withholding for payroll tax obligations due from employees and former employees in connection with the delivery of Accenture plc Class A ordinary shares under our various employee equity share plans. These purchases of shares in connection with employee share plans do not affect our aggregate available authorization for our publicly announced open-market share purchase and our other share purchase programs.
Item 6. [Reserved]
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ACCENTURE 2026 FORM 10-K
Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
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Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements and related Notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This discussion and analysis also contains forward-looking statements and should also be read in conjunction with the disclosures and information contained in “Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We use the terms “Accenture,” “we,” “our” and “us” in this report to refer to Accenture plc and its subsidiaries. All references to years, unless otherwise noted, refer to our fiscal year, which ends on August 31. For example, a reference to “fiscal 2026” means the 12-month period that ended on August 31, 2026. All references to quarters, unless otherwise noted, refer to the quarters of our fiscal year.
We use the term “in local currency” so that certain financial results may be viewed without the impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, thereby facilitating period-to-period comparisons of business performance. Financial results “in local currency” are calculated by restating current period activity into U.S. dollars using the comparable prior-year period’s foreign currency exchange rates. This approach is used for all results where the functional currency is not the U.S. dollar.
Overview
Accenture is a business reinvention and technology company. Our people bring deep insights across industries and functions, with capabilities spanning strategy, process, operating model, change management, talent, data, technology and AI. We deliver this expertise through consulting, managed services, proprietary assets and platforms, and increasingly, software . We serve clients in three geographic markets: the Americas, EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) and Asia Pacific.
Our results of operations are affected by economic conditions, including macroeconomic conditions, the overall inflationary environment, new and rapidly changing technologies, and levels of business confidence. We continue to see significant economic and geopolitical uncertainty in many markets around the world, including as a result of conflict in the Middle East, which has impacted and may continue to impact our business. While the discretionary environment is unchanged, clients continue to prioritize large-scale transformations, which include becoming AI-ready.
Key Metrics
Key metrics for fiscal 2026 compared to fiscal 2025 are included below. We have presented operating income, operating margin, effective tax rate and diluted earnings per share for fiscal 2026 and 2025 on a non-GAAP or “adjusted” basis to exclude the impact of business optimization costs. During the first quarter of fiscal 2026, we completed our six-month business optimization program and recorded costs of $ 308 million and $ 615 million during fiscal 2026 and 2025, respectively . For additional information regarding our business optimization actions and related costs, see Note 16 (Segment Reporting) to our Consolidated Financial Statements under Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”
• Revenues of $74.2 billion, an increase of 6% in U.S. dollars and 5% in local currency;
• New bookings of $84.5 billion, an increase of 5% in U.S. dollars and 3% in local currency;
• Operating margin of 15.4%, compared to 14.7% in fiscal 2025; adjusted operating margin of 15.8%, compared to 15.6% in fiscal 2025;
• Diluted earnings per share of $13.56, a 12% increase over diluted earnings per share of $12.15 in fiscal 2025; adjusted earnings per share of $13.97, an 8% increase over adjusted earnings per share of $12.93 in fiscal 2025;
• Cash returned to shareholders of $11.5 billion, including share purchases of $7.5 billion and dividends of $4.0 billion.
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Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
31
Revenues
Fiscal Percent
Increase (Decrease)
U.S.
Dollars Percent
Increase (Decrease)
Local
Currency Percent of Total
Revenues
for Fiscal
(in billions of U.S. dollars) 2026 2025 2026 2025
Geographic Markets Americas $ 36.5 $ 35.1 4 % 4 % 49 % 50 %
EMEA 27.0 24.6 9 4 36 35
Asia Pacific 10.7 10.0 7 8 14 14
Total Revenues $ 74.2 $ 69.7 6 % 5 % 100 % 100 %
Industry Groups Communications, Media & Technology $ 12.7 $ 11.5 11 % 10 % 17 % 16 %
Financial Services 14.0 12.8 9 7 19 18
Health & Public Service 15.2 14.8 3 2 20 21
Products 22.5 21.2 6 4 30 30
Resources 9.9 9.5 5 3 13 14
Total Revenues $ 74.2 $ 69.7 6 % 5 % 100 % 100 %
Type of Work Consulting $ 36.9 $ 35.1 5 % 3 % 50 % 50 %
Managed Services 37.3 34.6 8 6 50 50
Total Revenues $ 74.2 $ 69.7 6 % 5 % 100 % 100 %
Amounts in table may not total due to rounding.
Revenues for fiscal 2026 increased 6% in U.S. dollars and 5% in local currency compared to fiscal 2025. During fiscal 2026, revenue growth in local currency was very strong in Asia Pacific and solid in EMEA and the Americas. We experienced local currency revenue growth that was very strong in Communications, Media & Technology, strong in Financial Services, solid in Products and modest in Resources and Health & Public Service. Revenue growth in local currency was strong in managed services and modest in consulting. The business environment remained competitive, and we experienced lower pricing in many areas of the business during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026. For the full fiscal year 2026, pricing was relatively stable compared to fiscal 2025. We define pricing as the contract profitability or margin on the work that we sell.
In our consulting business, revenues for fiscal 2026 increased 5% in U.S. dollars and 3% in local currency compared to fiscal 2025. Consulting revenue growth in local currency for fiscal 2026 was driven by very strong growth in Asia Pacific, solid growth in the Americas and slight growth in EMEA. Our consulting revenue continues to be driven by helping our clients accelerate their reinvention and drive business outcomes, by redesigning processes and operating models, modernizing and implementing technology and data foundations, and leveraging cloud, software enterprise platforms, security, AI and data, as well as our change capabilities to help clients build new skills and drive the successful adoption of new processes and technologies. In addition, clients continue to be focused on initiatives designed to deliver cost savings, supply chain and operational resilience, as well as to accelerate growth and improve customer experiences. While we continue to experience demand for these services, particularly large transformation programs, the discretionary spending environment continues to impact smaller contracts with a shorter duration.
In our managed services business, revenues for fiscal 2026 increased 8% in U.S. dollars and 6% in local currency compared to fiscal 2025. Managed services revenue growth in local currency for fiscal 2026 was driven by very strong growth in Asia Pacific and EMEA and solid growth in the Americas. We continue to assist clients with reinvented operations, application development and maintenance, and infrastructure management including cloud, security, AI and data. Clients continue to be focused on transforming their operations through technology, AI and data, and leveraging our proprietary assets and platforms and talent to drive productivity and cost savings.
As we are a global company, our revenues are denominated in multiple currencies and may be significantly affected by currency exchange rate fluctuations. While a significant portion of our revenues are in U.S. dollars, the majority of our revenues are denominated in other currencies, including the Euro, U.K. pound and Japanese yen. There continues to be volatility in foreign currency exchange rates. Unfavorable fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates have had and could in the future have a material effect on our financial results. If the U.S. dollar weakens against other currencies, resulting in favorable currency translation, our revenues, revenue growth and results of operations in U.S. dollars may be higher. If the U.S. dollar strengthens against other currencies, resulting in unfavorable currency translation, our revenues, revenue growth and results of operations in U.S. dollars may be lower. The U.S. dollar weakened against various currencies during fiscal 2026, resulting in favorable currency translation and U.S. dollar revenue growth that was approximately 2% higher than our revenue growth in local currency for the year. Assuming that exchange rates stay within recent ranges, we estimate that our fiscal 2027 revenue growth in U.S. dollars will be approximately equal to our revenue growth in local currency.
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Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
32
People Metrics
Utilization
Workforce
Voluntary Attrition
93%
814,000
13%
compared to 92% in fiscal 2025
compared to approximately 779,000 as of August 31, 2025
compared to 14% in fiscal 2025
Utilization for fiscal 2026 was 93%, up from 92% in fiscal 2025. We hire to meet current and projected future demand. We proactively plan and manage the size and composition of our workforce and take actions as needed to address changes in the anticipated demand for our solutions and services, given that compensation costs are the most significant portion of our operating expenses. Our workforce, the majority of which serves our clients, was approximately 814,000 as of August 31, 2026, compared to approximately 779,000 as of August 31, 2025.
For fiscal 2026, attrition, excluding involuntary terminations, was 13%, down from 14% in fiscal 2025. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, annualized attrition, excluding involuntary terminations, was 13%, down from 14% in the third quarter of fiscal 2026. We evaluate voluntary attrition, adjust levels of new hiring and use involuntary terminations as a means to keep our supply of skills and resources in balance with changes in client demand.
In addition, we adjust compensation to provide market relevant pay based on the skills of our people and locations where we operate. We also consider a variety of factors, including the macroeconomic environment, in making our decisions around pay and benefits. We strive to adjust pricing as well as drive cost and delivery efficiencies, such as changing the mix of people and utilizing technology, to reduce the impact of compensation increases on our margin and contract profitability.
Our ability to grow our revenues and maintain or increase our margin could be adversely affected if we are unable to: match people and skills with the types or amounts of solutions and services clients are demanding; recover or offset increases in compensation; deploy our employees globally on a timely basis; manage attrition; and/or effectively assimilate new employees.
New Bookings
Fiscal Percent
Increase (Decrease)
U.S.
Dollars Percent
Increase (Decrease)
Local
Currency
(in billions of U.S. dollars) 2026 2025
Consulting $ 40.9 $ 37.6 9 % 6 %
Managed Services 43.7 43.0 2 —
Total New Bookings $ 84.5 $ 80.6 5 % 3 %
Amounts in table may not total due to rounding.
We provide information regarding our new bookings, which include new contracts, including those acquired through acquisitions, as well as renewals, extensions and changes to existing contracts, because we believe doing so provides useful trend information regarding changes in the volume of our new business over time. New bookings can vary significantly quarter to quarter depending in part on the timing of the signing of a small number of large managed services contracts. The types of solutions and services clients are demanding and the pace and level of their spending may impact the conversion of new bookings to revenues. For example, managed services bookings, which are typically for multi-year contracts, generally convert to revenue over a longer period of time compared to consulting bookings.
Information regarding our new bookings is not comparable to, nor should it be substituted for, an analysis of our revenues over time. New bookings involve estimates and judgments. There are no third-party standards or requirements governing the calculation of bookings. We do not update our new bookings for material subsequent terminations or reductions related to bookings originally recorded in prior periods. New bookings are recorded using then-existing foreign currency exchange rates and are not subsequently adjusted for foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations.
The majority of our contracts are terminable by the client on short notice with little or no termination penalties, and some without notice. Only the non-cancelable portion of these contracts is included in our remaining performance obligations disclosed in Note 2 (Revenues) to our Consolidated Financial Statements under Item 8, “Financial Statements and
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ACCENTURE 2026 FORM 10-K