The company reported third-quarter revenues of $18.7 billion, an increase of $1 billion over the previous year, yet the figure failed to meet analyst expectations. New bookings also slipped, posting a 2% decline compared to the same period in 2026. Despite these headwinds, Sweet maintains that the firm is successfully positioning itself for a major transition, pointing to $9 billion in managed services as evidence of sustained demand.
In section Finance faces
Accenture CEO Julie Sweet asks for patience as stock slides
Shares of Accenture plummeted nearly 20% on Thursday, underscoring a sharp disconnect between the firm’s long-term AI strategy and immediate market performance. With the stock down roughly 50% over the past year, CEO Julie Sweet is urging investors to look past the current volatility toward an eventual AI-driven recovery.
Sweet argues that the market is overlooking the complexity of large-scale AI implementation. She describes the current phase as a shift from pilot programs to full-scale production, a process she insists will require time to manifest in the company's bottom line. To accelerate this transition, Accenture has consolidated its strategy, consulting, and technology divisions into a unified "reinvention services" unit. While the firm reports that clients are increasingly seeking help with enterprise-wide transformation, investors remain skeptical, signaling that the promise of future AI scaling is not enough to offset the current downward pressure on the firm's valuation.
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