New Delhi, Oct. 1 -- Global consulting giant Accenture saw its shares spike sharply by 20% in pre-market trade to reach $220 on the NYSE, as investors cheered the company's better-than-expected performance in the fiscal fourth quarter and upbeat outlook.

The company reported fourth-quarter GAAP earnings of $3.29 per share, beating analysts' estimate by 11 cents. Revenue rose 6.3% year over year to $18.7 billion, exceeding expectations by about $660 million.

Consulting revenue totalled $9.28 billion in the fourth quarter, above analysts' expectations, while revenue from its communications, media and technology segment jumped 11% to $3.26 billion during the quarter, the Dublin-headquartered firm said in a statement on Thursday.

Fourth-qu...