08:42 AM EDT, 09/26/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Accenture ( ACN ) on Thursday reported better-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter results buoyed by double-digit gains in new bookings, while the consulting firm anticipates earnings in the ongoing full year to grow annually.

The company's adjusted earnings came in at $2.79 a share for the quarter ended August, up from $2.71 the year before, topping the Capital IQ-polled consensus of $2.77. Revenue increased to $16.41 billion from $15.99 billion, ahead of the Street's view of $16.38 billion. Foreign exchange was a roughly 2% headwind on the quarter.

The stock rose 4.7% in premarket activity.

Consulting revenue ticked up 1% to $8.26 billion, while sales in the managed services division moved 5% higher to $8.15 billion. New bookings jumped 21% to $20.1 billion comprising of $8.6 billion in consulting and $11.6 billion in managed services. Bookings related to Accenture's ( ACN ) generative artificial intelligence offering amounted to $1 billion, taking its tally to $3 billion for fiscal 2024.

"Our performance in fiscal year 2024 demonstrates the resilience and agility of our business model, the power of our scale and reinvention in action," Chief Executive Julie Sweet said in a statement. "We continue to accelerate our leadership in generative AI."

For fiscal 2025, Accenture ( ACN ) expects GAAP earnings to be in a range of $12.55 to $12.91 per share, representing an increase of 10% to 13% to the prior year's figure of $11.44. The Street is looking for $12.79. Revenue is pegged to grow between 3% and 6% in local currency versus the 2% gain it logged in fiscal 2024.

Foreign exchange is projected to positively impact the company's results by roughly 1.5% in the ongoing fiscal year. "Our successful strategy to lead reinvention for clients and continued investments in our business have positioned Accenture ( ACN ) for strong growth in fiscal 2025," Sweet said.

For the ongoing three-month period, Accenture ( ACN ) estimates revenue of $16.85 billion to $17.45 billion, with a foreign-exchange tailwind of 1.5%. In local currency, the guidance reflects a growth range of 2% to 6%. Analysts currently forecast revenue of $16.94 billion for the quarter.

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