Accenture Sales Forecasts Top Analysts' Estimates

9 on average. Net revenue for the year ending in August will increase 8 percent to 11 percent, the company said. In fiscal 2010, net revenue was $21.6 billion, according to the company filings.

CEO Stepping Down

Accenture, which lags behind International Business Machines Corp. in technology-consulting sales, advanced as much as $1.23 to $47.90 in extended trading, after adding 57 cents to $46.67 at 4:15 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The shares have climbed 12 percent this year.

Chief Executive Officer Bill Green is stepping down Jan. 1 and will be replaced by Pierre Nanterme, a 27-year company veteran who runs the financial-services division, the company said in October. Green will remain chairman, Accenture said.

First quarter net revenue climbed 6 percent to $6.05 billion, topping analysts’ average estimate of $5.79 billion.

(To hear a replay of Accenture’s conference call on results go to www.accenture.com.)

--Editors: Margot Slade, Cecile Daurat

To contact the reporter on this story: Katie Hoffmann in New York at khoffmann4@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Peter Elstrom at pelstrom@bloomberg.net

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