What Accenture's Earnings Mean for Mutual Fund Investors (ACN)

Before Thursday’s opening bell, outsourcing and consulting company Accenture (ACN) released its first quarter financial results. Here’s what the results mean for mutual fund investors.

Earnings

The company reported earnings of $892 million, or $1.29 per share, up from $812 million, or $1.15 per share, a year ago. Analysts expected to see $1.20 per share in earnings.

Revenue
Revenue was $7.90 billion, up from last year’s $7.36 billion. Analysts expected to see earnings of $7.69 billion.

Outlook
Looking ahead to Q2, the company expects to see revenue between $7.25 billion and $7.50 billion. For FY2015, the company expects to see revenue growth between 5% and 8%. Earnings are expected to be between $4.66 and $4.80 per share. Previously, ACN expected to see EPS between $4.74 and $4.88. The updated guidance is due to a foreign currency impact.

With today’s shares flying, the stock is up about 10% YTD. Although 2014 was a pretty quiet year for the company, the stock has more than doubled in five years. Compared to one of its largest competitors, IBM, it has outperformed.

One potential concern going into 2015 is the company’s lower outlook.

Investors interested in Accenture may also consider the following mutual funds as an alternative to investing directly in the stock. The funds below currently hold the largest stakes in the company.

The funds listed above allow investors to gain exposure to a wide range of holdings. Investors interested in Accenture may also be interested in IBM (IBM) and Infosys (INFY).

Shares of ACN are up 10% YTD.