ACN Accenture plc

NYSE Services-Business Services, NEC L2 CIK: 0001467373
AI RATING
BUY
78% Confidence

Investment Thesis

Accenture demonstrates exceptional financial health with 15.4% operating margins, 20% ROE, and robust free cash flow of $8.8B (15.8% FCF margin), indicating a capital-efficient, high-quality earnings generator. The company maintains a fortress balance sheet with minimal leverage (0.16x debt/equity) and strong liquidity, positioning it well for economic uncertainty. Growth visibility remains unclear due to limited YoY comparisons, preventing a higher rating but the fundamental profitability and cash generation profile support continued value creation.

Strengths

  • + Exceptional profitability: 15.4% operating margin and 11.5% net margin with 20% ROE
  • + Outstanding free cash flow generation of $8.8B with 15.8% FCF margin, exceeding net income
  • + Fortress balance sheet: 0.16x debt/equity, 42.8x interest coverage, $10.2B cash position
  • + Capital-efficient model: only 0.9% of revenue deployed in CapEx, minimizing reinvestment burden
  • + Strong asset base of $68.8B with $31.9B stockholders' equity providing financial flexibility

Risks

  • ! Growth visibility severely constrained by lack of YoY comparisons; unclear if revenue/earnings are flat, declining, or growing
  • ! Cyclical exposure: consulting and business services sector vulnerable to economic slowdowns and client spending reduction
  • ! Service-based revenue model carries execution risk if key client relationships are lost or market demand softens

Key Metrics to Watch

Financial Metrics

Revenue
55.5B
Net Income
6.4B
EPS (Diluted)
$10.27
Free Cash Flow
8.8B
Total Assets
68.8B
Cash
10.2B

Profitability Ratios

Gross Margin N/A
Operating Margin 15.4%
Net Margin 11.5%
ROE 20.0%
ROA 9.3%
FCF Margin 15.8%

Balance Sheet & Liquidity

Current Ratio
1.34x
Quick Ratio
1.34x
Debt/Equity
0.16x
Debt/Assets
0.0%
Interest Coverage
42.80x
Long-term Debt
5.0B
Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI based on publicly available SEC EDGAR filings. It does not include stock price data and should not be considered financial advice. All fundamental data is sourced from SEC public domain filings. Always conduct your own research before making investment decisions.
Data Source: SEC EDGAR | Analysis Date: 2026-07-28T06:06:49.260367 | Data as of: 2026-05-31 | Powered by Claude AI