The Big Four accounting firms are coming off a big year and headed for another, perhaps even bigger one. And if you're a corporate client, it's likely going to cost you, according to analysts studying this increasingly concentrated industry.
Big4.com, a leading source for information about the largest accounting firms—PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte, Ernst & Young and KMPG, all private partnerships—recently released a report showing the firms' revenue grew collectively by 9% in 2011, to $103 billion. That represents a major rebound from the recession years of 2009 and 2010, and tops the previous Big Four revenue record of $101 billion in 2008.
The Big4.com study shows PwC reclaimed the top spot in 2011 as its revenue grew 10% to $29.2 billion, passing Deloitte, whose $28.8 billion in revenue was up just 8.4%. KPMG showed the strongest growth, up 10.1% to $22.7 billion, moving it closer to third-ranked Ernst & Young, which had $22.9 billion in revenue, a gain of just 7.6%.
Complete your profile to continue reading and get FREE access to Treasury & Risk, part of your ALM digital membership.
Your access to unlimited Treasury & Risk content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:
- Thought leadership on regulatory changes, economic trends, corporate success stories, and tactical solutions for treasurers, CFOs, risk managers, controllers, and other finance professionals
- Informative weekly newsletter featuring news, analysis, real-world case studies, and other critical content
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical coverage of the employee benefits and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
*May exclude premium content© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
