Accenture to Pay $25 Million to Settle Latest U.S. DOJ Anti

Accenture agreed to pay $25M to settle a DOJ case alleging its federal contractor subsidiary, Accenture Federal Services, considered race or sex in hiring. The company denies wrongdoing and will report Q4 2026 earnings on Oct 1. The DOJ claims AFS violated the False Claims Act by falsely certifying compliance with anti-discrimination laws.

Accenture (ACN) stock fell 22% over the past year, despite revenue growth of 6.7% and a 15.8% operating margin. The company is expanding into new markets and making acquisitions, but its stock performance lags peers like IBM (IBM) and Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH). Accenture's guidance for fiscal 2026 includes 3-4% revenue growth, partly driven by acquisitions.

Accenture will pay $25 million to settle U.S. Justice Department claims it discriminated based on race and sex in hiring and promotions while holding federal contracts. The company denies wrongdoing and says the settlement is not an admission of liability. The Justice Department alleges Accenture used demographic targets and separate review processes for promotions. Accenture's federal contracts have also faced recent cuts by the Pentagon.

Accenture agreed to pay $25 million to settle DOJ allegations of discrimination in hiring and promotions from 2017 to 2026, joining IBM ($17M) and Deloitte ($21.5M) in settlements under Trump's Civil Rights Fraud Initiative. All deny liability. The total payouts reach $63.5 million.

Accenture agreed to pay $25 million to settle US DOJ allegations involving Accenture Federal Services' employment practices, including $11.627 million in restitution. The settlement follows similar agreements by Deloitte and IBM, totaling $63.6 million combined. Accenture denies wrongdoing, and the settlement does not admit liability. The case involves alleged demographic hiring and promotion targets from 2017 to the agreement's effective date.

Accenture agreed to pay $25 million to settle U.S. allegations of race and sex discrimination in hiring. The company, a major federal contractor, stated it cooperated with the review. Similar settlements were reached by Deloitte ($21.5 million) and IBM ($17 million). The DOJ emphasized that federal contractors must not consider race or sex in employment decisions.