Reality Check: What triggered Accenture's historic stock plunge

Accenture saw one of its sharpest stock declines in history after reporting third-quarter FY26 revenue of $18.7 billion, slightly below Wall Street expectations, while adjusted EPS of $3.80 beat estimates. The company lowered its full-year revenue growth guidance to 3-4 percent from the earlier 3-5 percent range, and bookings declined year-over-year, signalling slowing enterprise technology spending. CEO Julie Sweet defended the long-term AI opportunity, noting over 100 contracts worth more than $100 million were signed during the quarter.