Big4.com, the social networking forum for professionals and alumni of Accenture, Arthur Andersen, BearingPoint, Capgemini, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG and PwC, has released the 2010 Big Four Firms Financial Performance Analysis, which provides a detailed financial and operating analysis of the performance of the four largest accounting firms in the world.
The analysis shows that the firms returned to moderate increases in revenue in 2010 after severe revenue declines in 2009, as they rebounded from the aftermath of the global economic slowdown. It also found that 2009 marked an abrupt reversal of five straight years of double-digit revenue growth.
“After a difficult 2009, 2010 fiscal year saw a small increase in revenues for Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers, as firms were aided by a general global recovery, enhanced equity markets, improved credit conditions, and better M&A and IPO activity, all of which spurred client demand, especially for advisory services,” said Big4.com vice president David Hunter. “Despite the limited data points that the firms report each year, our exclusive look at seven years of financial performance of these firms shows some very interesting trends and insights across firms, geographies and service lines.”
The analysis also showed that from 2009 to 2010, combined revenues for all four firms in U.S. dollars rose 1.4 percent, while audit revenue was flat, tax revenue decreased by 1 percent, and advisory revenues increased by 6 percent year over year.
In addition, the depreciating U.S. dollar over the reporting period helped firms post higher growth numbers. The analysis contains further details on performance by global regions and by audit, tax and advisory service lines, as well as an outlook for 2011 and beyond.
The full study can be viewed at
