Accenture shares slide as investors weigh AI threat

The Financial Times reported that Accenture shares closed 18% lower after the consulting group cut its revenue forecast and reported a 3% decline in new bookings for the quarter ending in May. Investors are questioning whether AI will shrink demand for traditional IT and outsourcing services or create new competition from AI-native firms. Accenture says it is still winning AI adoption work, but overall corporate IT budgets have not risen and clients are spending differently. The company is also expanding acquisitions, including cybersecurity deals tied to AI-era threats.

Key details: Published June 18, 2026 at 11:49 UTC, Accenture shares closed 18% lower, New bookings fell 3% year over year, The company raised its acquisition budget to $9 billion for the fiscal year.

Why it matters: AI disruption is now showing up in public-market pressure on consulting business models, not just in speculative workforce forecasts.