NEW YORK, January 20, 2026, 14:00 EST — Regular session
- Accenture shares dropped roughly 2.8% in afternoon trading, underperforming the wider U.S. market pullback.
- Concerns over tariff threats linked to Greenland tensions, along with renewed caution on corporate tech spending, dragged on sentiment.
- Accenture highlighted fresh offshore wind projects for its BOSLAN unit, with key dates coming up on Jan. 28 and March 19.
Accenture plc (NYSE: ACN) dropped 2.8%, slipping to $278.07 by 1:44 p.m. EST Tuesday, underperforming a wider U.S. market selloff. The stock fluctuated between $278.07 and $287.22, as the SPY and QQQ ETFs slid roughly 1.8% apiece.
Sentiment took a hit after President Donald Trump ramped up tariff threats against European allies amid the Greenland dispute. Jeff Buchbinder, chief equity strategist at LPL Financial, shrugged it off, saying, “We think we’ll settle down and realize this is just a negotiation tool.” 1
Shares in tech-related stocks slid again amid concerns over corporate spending. Morgan Stanley downgraded its outlook on the North American IT hardware sector to “cautious,” referencing a survey that forecast just 1% growth in hardware budgets for 2026. Another reseller survey it mentioned warned that 30% to 60% of customers might reduce planned purchases if price increases continue. 2
Accenture, known for consulting and outsourcing to big corporations and governments, reported steady demand in its latest updates. The firm’s subsidiary BOSLAN was picked by ScottishPower Renewables to oversee manufacturing and quality control for vital parts of the East Anglia TWO offshore wind project in the North Sea, Accenture confirmed. “East Anglia TWO is a significant and complex project,” said execution director Michael Hotze. 3
At Davos, the company doubled down on its AI-driven transformation message. Accenture CEO Julie Sweet summed up their governance approach neatly during a World Economic Forum session: “It’s human in the lead, not human in the loop.” 4
Accenture slid alongside its tech-services peers on a soft tape. Cognizant fell around 2.1%, IBM dropped close to 3.2%, and EPAM Systems lost about 2.7%.
The last key update came with its quarterly report on Dec. 18. Accenture surpassed first-quarter revenue estimates but projected second-quarter revenue between $17.35 billion and $18.00 billion, with the midpoint falling short of analyst forecasts. The company also highlighted inconsistent demand from public sector and government clients, Reuters reported. 5
Beyond the shifts in individual stocks, stress indicators in the market spiked sharply. “This is a typical response to geopolitical upheaval: pull back on equity risk, load up on gold and cash,” noted Alex Morris, CEO and CIO of F/m Investments. Volatility climbed across multiple asset classes. 6
This slide isn’t unique to Accenture. If tariff fears ease and clients maintain their investments in cloud and AI, the stock could rebound alongside the broader market. But if tech budgets tighten further or government projects stall, days like this won’t be so easy to ignore.
Investors are set for a scheduled update on Jan. 28, when Accenture holds its annual general meeting. Then on March 19, the company plans to discuss its second-quarter fiscal 2026 results during a conference call. Traders will focus on bookings — a straightforward gauge of new contract signings — to gauge demand heading into spring. 7
