Accenture (ACN) closed the most recent trading day at $362.41, moving -0.23% from the previous trading session. The stock's change was more than the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.29%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw a downswing of 0.32%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq depreciated by 0.5%.
Coming into today, shares of the consulting company had gained 0.79% in the past month. In that same time, the Computer and Technology sector gained 1.8%, while the S&P 500 gained 2.52%.
The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of Accenture in its forthcoming earnings report. The company's earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be $2.78, reflecting a 0.36% increase from the same quarter last year. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $16.59 billion, up 4.97% from the prior-year quarter.
Looking at the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $12.69 per share and revenue of $68.63 billion. These totals would mark changes of +6.19% and +5.75%, respectively, from last year.
Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for Accenture. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the company's business and profitability.
Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-team stock moves. To exploit this, we've formed the Zacks Rank, a quantitative model that includes these estimate changes and presents a viable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection has moved 0.08% lower. Right now, Accenture possesses a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
In terms of valuation, Accenture is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 28.63. This denotes no noticeable deviation relative to the industry's average Forward P/E of 28.63.
Investors should also note that ACN has a PEG ratio of 3.23 right now. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. The Computers - IT Services industry currently had an average PEG ratio of 2.74 as of yesterday's close.
The Computers - IT Services industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. With its current Zacks Industry Rank of 66, this industry ranks in the top 27% of all industries, numbering over 250.
The Zacks Industry Rank is ordered from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
To follow ACN in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com.
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