ACN Accenture Plc

By Allison Prang

Accenture PLC lowered its earnings and revenue guidance for this fiscal year.

The outlook includes the potential effect from the coronavirus, Accenture said.

The professional-services company said it expects earnings between $7.48 a share and $7.70 a share, which is less than the analysts' average estimate according to FactSet. The company had been expecting earnings between $7.66 a share and $7.84 a share.

Accenture expects revenue to rise between 3% and 6% on a local currency basis. It had been expecting it to increase between 6% and 8%.

Accenture is guiding for a negative 1.5% impact from foreign exchange. It had been expecting that negative impact to be 1%.

The company expects its operating margin to expand between 10 basis points and 20 basis points. The higher end of that guidance was previously 30 basis points.

Accenture also lowered its guidance for operating cash flow and free cash flow but affirmed its expectations for its annual effective tax rate and for property and equipment additions.

For the third quarter, the company expects revenue between $10.75 billion and $11.15 billion, it said. According to FactSet, analysts are expecting $11.75 billion.

Write to Allison Prang at allison.prang@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 19, 2020 07:32 ET (11:32 GMT)

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