NEW YORK, January 2, 2026, 4:02 PM ET — After-hours
- Accenture shares were down about 2.9% in late trade, underperforming a mixed broader market.
- Software names lagged, with IGV down about 2.8% and Salesforce and ServiceNow off around 4% and 3.8%.
- Investors are watching next week’s U.S. jobs report and inflation data for rate-cut clues, plus Accenture’s next earnings update in March.
Accenture plc shares were down 2.9% at $260.55 in late trade on Friday, after ranging between $258.07 and $271.92 in the session. The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF fell about 2.8%.
The slide matters because markets are shifting out of holiday-thinned trading and into January catalysts that can reset expectations for growth, corporate spending and interest rates.
Accenture is closely watched as a barometer for corporate technology budgets because it sells consulting and outsourcing services across industries. That makes the stock sensitive to shifts in risk appetite around software and IT spending.
Weakness was broad across enterprise software. Salesforce fell about 4.1% and ServiceNow lost 3.8%, while IT services peers IBM and Cognizant were down 1.6% and 1.8%; Infosys rose 2.2%.
The broader tape was steadier. The S&P 500-tracking SPY was up about 0.04% and the Dow-linked DIA gained 0.46%, while the Nasdaq-tracking QQQ slipped 0.18%.
Strategists have warned that valuation will matter more after a strong multi-year run. “Stocks trade expensive on 18 of 20 measures,” said Savita Subramanian, Bank of America’s equity and quant strategist, in a note.
Accenture’s most recent company update came in mid-December, when it beat quarterly revenue estimates but forecast second-quarter revenue of $17.35 billion to $18 billion, Reuters reported. The company also posted adjusted earnings per share of $3.94.
Investors have a shareholder calendar ahead as well. Accenture’s annual general meeting is scheduled for Jan. 28 in Dublin, a filing showed.
The next major operational checkpoint is the company’s fiscal second-quarter earnings conference call, scheduled for March 19, according to Accenture’s investor events calendar.
Markets focus is also turning to next week’s U.S. economic data, including the employment report due Jan. 9 and the consumer price index report on Jan. 13. Big banks including JPMorgan are scheduled to kick off earnings season on Jan. 13, Reuters reported.
Traders will watch whether software sentiment stabilizes after Friday’s slide, with Accenture now trading closer to the lower end of its 52-week range of $229.40 to $398.35, according to Yahoo Finance.
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