Is Trending Stock Accenture PLC (ACN) a Buy Now?

Core Viewpoint - Accenture's stock has recently been trending down, with a return of -14.3% over the past month, while the Zacks S&P 500 composite increased by +0.8% [1] Earnings Estimate Revisions - Accenture is expected to report earnings of $3.16 per share for the current quarter, reflecting a year-over-year decrease of -0.9%, with a recent change in the Zacks Consensus Estimate of -3.7% [2] - For the current fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate is $12.10, indicating a +3.7% change from the previous year, with a recent adjustment of -0.9% [3] - The next fiscal year's consensus earnings estimate is $12.96, suggesting a +7.1% increase from the prior year, with a recent change of -2.1% [3] - Accenture holds a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell), indicating potential underperformance in the near term due to recent changes in earnings estimates [3] Revenue Growth Forecast - The consensus sales estimate for the current quarter is $16.57 billion, showing a year-over-year increase of +0.1% [4] - For the current fiscal year, the revenue estimate is $65.38 billion, reflecting a +2% change, while the next fiscal year's estimate is $69.39 billion, indicating a +6.1% change [4] Last Reported Results and Surprise History - In the last reported quarter, Accenture generated revenues of $15.8 billion, a year-over-year decrease of -0.1%, with an EPS of $2.77 compared to $2.69 a year ago [5] - The reported revenues were slightly below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $15.82 billion, resulting in a surprise of -0.14%, while the EPS exceeded estimates by +4.14% [5] - Accenture has beaten consensus EPS estimates in each of the last four quarters but has only surpassed revenue estimates once during this period [6] Valuation - Accenture's valuation metrics, including price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), are essential for assessing whether the stock is fairly valued [7] - The Zacks Value Style Score grades Accenture as D, indicating it is trading at a premium compared to its peers [8]