Skip to main content

Advisory

BIG4.com Releases 2010 Big Four Firms Financial Performance Analysis

Report indicates an increase in revenues

Jan. 13, 2011

New York, NY (PRWEB) — Big4.com, the premier social networking forum for professionals and alumni of Accenture, Andersen, BearingPoint, Capgemini, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers PwC announced today the release of the 2010 Big Four Firms Financial Performance Analysis, providing a detailed financial and operating analysis of the performance of the four largest accounting firms in the world. The analysis shows 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. 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, with revenues increasing between negative 0.9 and positive 2.6 percent from 2009, 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 and in Asia. Revenues were generally flat in most developed regions, while growth bounced back to strong levels in emerging markets of Asia and Latin America.” stated David Hunter, Vice President at Big4.com. “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.”

Highlighted Stats:

  • In 2010, Deloitte surpassed PricewaterhouseCoopers to become the largest Big Four firm, reporting revenues of $26.578 billion and growth of 1.8%, just ahead of PwC’s revenues of $26.569 billion and growth of 1.5%. 
  • Deloitte beat PwC by a small but significant margin of only $9 million. 
  • Ernst & Young placed third with 2010 revenues of $21.440 billion, but its revenues shrank 0.9% from 2009. 
  • KPMG remained the smallest firm with revenues of $20.630 billion, but had the highest growth at 2.6% and reduced the gap with Ernst & Young.

From 2009 to 2010, combined revenues for all the four firms in US dollar terms rose 1.4%: Audit revenue was flat at 0%, Tax revenue decreased by 1%, but Advisory revenues increased strongly by 6%. The depreciating U.S. dollar over the reporting period helped firms post higher growth numbers in U.S. dollar terms. In local currency terms, revenues rose by smaller percentage levels. The analysis has further details on performance by global regions and by Audit, Tax and Advisory service lines, and outlook for 2011 and the future.

You may reproduce or distribute parts or whole of this analysis, but prominent and full attribution should be given at all times to “The 2010 Big Four Firms Performance Analysis by www.Big4.com.”

The full study can be downloaded as Adobe pdf at http://www.big4.com/BigFourPerformanceAnalysis.html.

About Big4.com

Big4.com is the accounting, tax, consulting and IT professions’ premier resource, and has been exclusively focused on Big Four firm professionals and alumni for 10 years, providing high quality content, connectivity and commerce. The Big Four Job Board offers fresh job opportunities – clients include the world’s leading companies. Big Four News covers key news, developments, events, survey results, press releases and appointments, and is featured on Google News. The Big Four Blog provides opinion and insight on recent and key developments, news, happenings, management changes, regulations, acquisitions and capital market activities.

Big4.com has a strong presence on key social media platforms:

For more information on Big4.com, please visit the website or call 866.690.5050.