ACN Accenture Plc

By Austen Hufford 

Accenture PLC posted revenue and profit increases and raised its outlook as the consultancy pushes into new segments.

The Dublin-based company has been shifting its business to digital, cloud and security services through a number of acquisitions. Thursday, the consultancy said those segments accounted for 40% of revenue.

For the year, Accenture now expects to earn an adjusted $5.29 to $5.33 a share, up from its previous forecast of $5.21 to $5.32. The company also expects revenue to increase at a currency-adjusted rate of 9.5% to 10.5%, up from 8% to 10% previously. Both outlooks were already boosted last quarter.

In the quarter, Accenture saw sales rise across most of its business segments, helped by 15% growth in its products unit, its largest, and 11% growth in its health and public services unit. The company has worked to improve the HealthCare.gov website used by Americans to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

Over all for its fiscal third quarter ended May 31, Accenture reported a profit of $897.2 million, or $1.41 a share, up from $793.7 million, or $1.24 cents a share, a year prior.

Revenue rose 8.4% to $8.97 billion.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters were expecting $1.41 a share on $8.34 billion in revenue.

The increase in profit was driven by higher revenue and a lower share count, which was partially offset by a higher tax rate and an increase in nonoperating expenses.

Shares rose 0.7% to $119.80 in premarket trading.

Write to Austen Hufford at austen.hufford@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 23, 2016 08:41 ET (12:41 GMT)

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