Given the recent travails at Arthur Anderson, several Big Five accountancies have made inquiries into buying part or all of the Chicago-based firm. The question to be answered: what’s the right fit, and for whom? AA may be in deep trouble, but as the following chart shows, both its domestic tax and accounting/audit operations would plum pick ups for rival firms.
(NOTES: Chart courtesy of Bowman’s Accounting Report. Bowman’s also provides a complete analysis of firms’ fiscal performance. * indicates Bowman’s estimates. # means the figures were restated; KPMG sold its consulting practice after FY2000. N/A is used when a firm doesn’t have data or refuses to provide it.)
NATIONAL FIRMS RANKED BY U.S. NET REVENUE | ||||||||||
2001 | ||||||||||
U.S. | Partners | Staff | Acctg & Audit | Tax | Consulting Total | SEC | ||||
Firm | Net Rev | Total | Total | % Rev | Rev | % Rev | Rev | % Rev | Rev | Clients |
Pricewaterhouse Coopers | $8,056.5 | 2,784 | 43,134 | 34.9% | $2,812.7 | 20.3% | $1,633.7 | 44.8% | $3,610.1 | 3,025 |
Deloitte & Touche * | $5,578.3 | 2,283 | 28,992 | 32.5% | $1,815 | 21.5% | $1,202 | 45.9% | $2,561.3 | 2,877 |
Ernst & Young * | $4,094.8 | 1,934 | 22,526 | 58.0% | $2,375 | 39.0% | $1,597 | 3.0% | $122.8 | 2,923 |
Arthur Andersen * | $3,970.6 | 1,584 | 27,867 | 42.0% | $1,668.6 | 32.0% | $1,270 | 26.0% | $1,032 | 2,311 |
KPMG | $3,171 | 1,471 | 17,577 | 63.7% | $1,957 | 38.3% | $1,214 | 0% | $0 | 1,808 |
2000 | ||||||||||
U.S. | Partners | Staff | Acctg & Audit | Tax | Consulting Total | SEC | ||||
Firm | Net Rev | Total | Total | % Rev | Rev | % Rev | Rev | % Rev | Rev | Clients |
Pricewaterhouse Coopers | $8,298.6 | 2,794 | 46,925 | 32.5% | $2,698.9 | 17.6% | $1,461.5 | 49.9% | $4,138.2 | 2,975 |
Deloitte & Touche * | $5,312.6 | 2,155 | 28,667 | 31.0% | $1,646.9 | 19.0% | $1,009.4 | 50.0% | $2,656.3 | 2,763 |
Ernst & Young * | $3,781 | 1,885 | 22,977 | 57.1% | $2,158 | 38.6% | $1,458.7 | 4.3% | $164.3 | 2,922 |
Arthur Andersen * | $3,545.5 | 1,313 | 25,860 | 42.8% | $1,518.2 | 30.8% | $1,092.3 | 26.4% | $935 | 2,407 |
KPMG # | $2,874 | 1,455 | 17,374 | 60.1% | $1,728 | 39.9% | $1,146 | 0% | $0 | 1,802 |