Insights from consulting on AI implementation across various organizations. Speaker: NLW | Host, AI Daily Brief & CEO, Super.ai https://x.com/nlw https://nlw.substack.com/ ...

We're joined now by CEO [music] Julie to discuss the quarter and and we were just wondering about the stock reaction. Julie, the market doesn't appear to be believing that the AI narrative around Accenture even though it's clearly accelerating your business. What's happening.You know, Sarah, we delivered an incredible Q1, our biggest ever in new business, and it's because our clients know they have to deliver results today, and they've got to reinvent. So, we demonstrated that again, $20.9% billion in new b ...

We're joined now by CEO [music] Julie to discuss the quarter and and we were just wondering about the stock reaction. Julie, the market doesn't appear to be believing that the AI narrative around Accenture even though it's clearly accelerating your business. What's happening.You know, Sarah, we delivered an incredible Q1, our biggest ever in new business, and it's because our clients know they have to deliver results today, and they've got to reinvent. So, we demonstrated that again, $20.9% billion in new b ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for the quarter was $18.7 billion, reflecting a 5% growth in local currency and a 6% increase in U.S. dollars, at the top of the guided range [17][19] - Adjusted operating margin expanded by 30 basis points year over year to 17% [18][22] - Adjusted EPS grew by 10% year over year to $3.94 [18][22] - Free cash flow for the quarter was $1.5 billion, with a cash balance of $9.6 billion at the end of the quarter [23] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - New bookings totaled $20.9 billion, representing a 12% growth in U.S. dollars and a 10% growth in local currency [18][19] - Consulting revenues were $9.4 billion, growing 4% in U.S. dollars and 3% in local currency [19] - Managed Services revenues reached $9.3 billion, with an 8% increase in U.S. dollars and 7% in local currency [19] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - In the Americas, revenue grew 4% in local currency, with a 6% growth excluding federal business impacts [20] - EMEA delivered 4% growth in local currency, driven by banking and capital markets, insurance, and life sciences [20] - Asia-Pacific revenue grew 9% in local currency, led by banking and capital markets, communications and media, and public service [21] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company continues to focus on large transformational programs for clients, emphasizing the importance of a modern digital core [25][26] - Advanced AI is increasingly embedded in solutions, with a significant focus on integrating multiple forms of AI [11][36] - The partnership strategy is grounded in client demand, with 60% of revenue in Q1 coming from work with top 10 ecosystem partners [12][14] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that clients are prioritizing strategic and large-scale transformational programs, with no significant changes in discretionary spending observed [25][72] - The demand for advanced AI is rapidly maturing, with expectations for significant growth in the total addressable market for advanced AI [34] - The company expects revenue growth for fiscal 2026 to be in the range of 2%-5% in local currency, with an inorganic contribution of about 1.5% [39][40] Other Important Information - The company recorded $308 million in business optimization costs, impacting operating margin and EPS [21][22] - The company announced an agreement to acquire a 65% majority stake in DLB Associates, expanding its capabilities in the data center professional services market [14][15] Q&A Session Summary Question: Shift in consulting industry's role in AI - Management acknowledged a shift in perception, emphasizing that enterprise AI adoption requires foundational work around security and data management [43][44] Question: Timing for AI partnerships to impact revenue - Management indicated that the partnerships are part of a broader ecosystem and enterprise adoption will drive revenue growth [51][52] Question: Sustainability of revenue growth outpacing headcount growth - Management confirmed that revenue per person grew 7%, driven by talent rotation and hiring for new skills [56][57] Question: Discretionary spending outlook - Management stated that they are not waiting for discretionary spending to return, focusing instead on delivering results despite market conditions [71][72] Question: Fixed-price work growth potential - Management expressed confidence in the competitive advantage of fixed-price deals, noting that they provide clients with confidence in outcome delivery [73][74]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for the quarter was $18.7 billion, reflecting a 5% growth in local currency and a 6% increase in U.S. dollars, at the top of the guided range [17][19] - Adjusted operating margin expanded by 30 basis points year over year to 17% [18][22] - Adjusted EPS grew by 10% year over year to $3.94 [18][22] - Free cash flow for the quarter was $1.5 billion, with a cash balance of $9.6 billion [23] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - New bookings totaled $20.9 billion, representing a 12% growth in U.S. dollars and a 10% growth in local currency [18][19] - Consulting revenues were $9.4 billion, growing 4% in U.S. dollars and 3% in local currency [19] - Managed services revenues reached $9.3 billion, with an 8% increase in U.S. dollars and 7% in local currency [19] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - In the Americas, revenue grew 4% in local currency, with a 6% growth excluding federal business impacts [20] - EMEA saw a 4% growth in local currency, driven by banking and capital markets [20] - Asia-Pacific revenue grew 9% in local currency, led by banking and capital markets [21] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company focuses on being a reinvention partner for clients, emphasizing large-scale transformational programs [25] - Advanced AI is increasingly embedded in solutions, with a significant focus on data management and modernization [26][36] - The partnership strategy is crucial, with 60% of revenue coming from top ecosystem partners, which is expected to continue driving growth [12][14] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that clients are prioritizing strategic transformational programs despite a lack of change in discretionary spending [72] - The demand for advanced AI is growing, with expectations for significant market expansion in the coming years [34] - The company anticipates revenue growth of 2-5% in local currency for fiscal 2026, with a focus on maintaining strong cash returns to shareholders [39][40] Other Important Information - The company recorded $308 million in business optimization costs, impacting operating margin and EPS [21] - The company plans to invest approximately $3 billion in acquisitions for fiscal 2026 [39] Q&A Session Questions and Answers Question: Shift in consulting industry's role in AI - Management acknowledged a shift in perception, emphasizing that enterprise AI adoption requires foundational work around data and processes [43][44] Question: Timing for AI partnerships to impact revenue - Management indicated that the impact of AI partnerships on revenue is tied to enterprise adoption, which is expected to evolve over time [51][52] Question: Sustainability of revenue growth outpacing headcount growth - Management confirmed that revenue per person grew 7%, driven by talent rotation, and expects this trend to moderate [56][57] Question: Discretionary spending outlook - Management stated that they are not waiting for discretionary spending to return, focusing instead on delivering results through large transformational deals [72] Question: Fixed-price work growth potential - Management expressed confidence in the competitive advantage of fixed-price deals, noting that they provide clients with certainty in outcomes [74][75]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for the first quarter reached $18.7 billion, growing 5% in local currency, with adjusted EPS growth of 10% compared to the same quarter last year [6][17][20] - Adjusted operating margin expanded by 30 basis points year over year, reaching 17% [7][17] - Free cash flow for the quarter was $1.5 billion, with a cash balance of $9.6 billion at the end of the quarter [21][22] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - New bookings totaled $20.9 billion, representing 12% growth in U.S. dollars and 10% growth in local currency [16][17] - Consulting revenues were $9.4 billion, growing 4% in U.S. dollars and 3% in local currency, while managed services revenues were $9.3 billion, growing 8% in U.S. dollars and 7% in local currency [18] - Advanced AI bookings reached $2.2 billion, nearly doubling from the previous year, with revenue of approximately $1.1 billion [9][10] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue growth in the Americas was 4% in local currency, with a 6% growth excluding federal business impacts [18][19] - EMEA saw 4% growth in local currency, driven by banking and capital markets, while Asia-Pacific experienced 9% growth, led by Japan and Australia [19] - The demand for reinvention remains strong, with 60% of revenue in Q1 coming from work with top 10 ecosystem partners [11][12] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to be the most client-focused, AI-enabled workplace, emphasizing the importance of partnerships and strategic acquisitions to enhance capabilities [5][14] - Recent acquisitions include a 65% stake in DLB Associates, expanding capabilities in the AI data center engineering market [14] - The focus is on embedding advanced AI across various solutions, moving beyond standalone projects to integrated end-to-end solutions [10][34] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that clients are prioritizing large-scale transformational programs, with no significant changes in discretionary spending observed [24][66] - The company expects revenue growth for fiscal 2026 to be in the range of 2-5% in local currency, with an inorganic contribution of about 1.5% from acquisitions [37][39] - The outlook for adjusted diluted earnings per share for fiscal 2026 is projected to be between $13.52 and $13.90, reflecting 5-8% growth over the previous fiscal year [38][39] Other Important Information - The company recorded $308 million in business optimization costs related to employee severance, impacting operating margin and EPS [20] - The company continues to invest significantly in talent and technology, with nearly 80,000 AI and data professionals targeted [7][8] Q&A Session Summary Question: Shift in consulting industry's role in AI - Management acknowledged a shift in perception, emphasizing that enterprise AI adoption requires foundational work around data and processes [42][44] Question: Revenue impact of AI partnerships - Management indicated that partnerships are crucial for enterprise adoption and will contribute to revenue as the market evolves [50][51] Question: Sustainability of revenue per head growth - Management confirmed a 7% growth in revenue per person, driven by talent rotation, but expects moderation as new hires are integrated [52][54] Question: Discretionary spending outlook - Management stated that they are not waiting for discretionary spending to return, focusing instead on delivering results despite current market conditions [65][66] Question: Fixed-price work growth potential - Management expressed confidence in the competitive advantage of fixed-price contracts, which have increased significantly, and noted ongoing evolution in commercial models [67][68]

Financial Performance - Total revenues reached $18.7 billion, a 5% increase in local currency[2] - Adjusted earnings per share increased by 10% to $3.94, excluding a $0.40 per share business optimization impact[3] - Adjusted operating margin increased by 30 bps to 17.0%, excluding a 170 bps business optimization impact[4] - Free cash flow was $1.5 billion[5] Revenue Breakdown - Consulting revenues were $9.4 billion, a 3% increase in local currency[3] - Managed Services revenues were $9.3 billion, a 7% increase in local currency[3] - Americas revenues were $9.1 billion, a 4% increase in local currency[2] - EMEA revenues were $6.9 billion, a 4% increase in local currency[2] - Asia Pacific revenues were $2.7 billion, a 9% increase in local currency[2] - Communications, Media & Technology revenues were $3.1 billion, an 8% increase in local currency[2] - Financial Services revenues were $3.6 billion, a 12% increase in local currency[2] Cash Return and Bookings - $1 billion was paid in dividends and $2.3 billion in share repurchases[5] - New bookings totaled $20.9 billion, reflecting 10% local currency growth, with a book-to-bill ratio of 1.1[5] AI and Ecosystem - Advanced AI bookings were $2.2 billion, with revenues of $1.1 billion, representing YoY growth of 76% and 120% respectively in USD[22] - Over 60% of revenue was driven by the top 10 ecosystem partners in Q1 FY26[11] Fiscal Year 2026 Outlook - Revenue growth in local currency is projected to be between 2% and 5%[8] - Adjusted earnings per share are expected to increase by 5% to 8% over FY25, reaching $13.52 - $13.90[8] - Free cash flow is projected to be between $9.8 billion and $10.5 billion[8] - At least $9.3 billion of cash is expected to be returned to shareholders, a 12% or $1 billion increase over FY25[29]

Core Insights - The technology consulting company reported higher first-quarter sales driven by growth in its AI business [1] Group 1 - The increase in sales is attributed to the expansion of the company's AI offerings [1]

Accenture stock was rising early on Thursday after it reported earnings and revenue ahead of expectations, while confirming its outlook. ...

Core Insights - FTI Consulting Inc. (NYSE: FCN) reported a record performance in Q3 2025, primarily driven by its Corporate Finance & Restructuring segment [1] Financial Performance - The quarter marked a record across several metrics, indicating strong growth and operational efficiency [1] Segment Analysis - The Corporate Finance & Restructuring segment played a significant role in the overall performance, suggesting a robust demand for these services in the current market environment [1]