Accenture PLC $ACN Stock Sold by VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al decreased its stake in Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) by 27.6% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 243,028 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock after selling 92,700 shares during the quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al’s holdings in Accenture were worth $44,564,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Patrick M Sweeney & Associates Inc. lifted its holdings in Accenture by 2.0% in the third quarter. Patrick M Sweeney & Associates Inc. now owns 2,249 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $412,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the period. Alpine Bank Wealth Management grew its stake in shares of Accenture by 18.3% during the 3rd quarter. Alpine Bank Wealth Management now owns 323 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Accenture by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,819 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $334,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. Hibernia Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Accenture by 4.5% during the 1st quarter. Hibernia Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,354 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $269,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GS Investments Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Accenture by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. GS Investments Inc. now owns 12,415 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $2,462,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. 75.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Paula Price acquired 800 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 26th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $249.81 per share, for a total transaction of $199,848.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 9,361 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,338,471.41. This represents a 9.34% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Julie Sweet bought 12,200 shares of Accenture stock in a transaction on Monday, October 26th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $245.99 per share, with a total value of $3,001,078.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 48,910 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,031,370.90. The trade was a 33.23% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 8,675 shares of company stock worth $2,047,563 in the last quarter. 0.02% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Evercore set a $250.00 price target on shares of Accenture and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 1st. Robert W. Baird cut shares of Accenture from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $245.00 to $252.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. Stifel Nicolaus set a $242.00 price objective on shares of Accenture in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Guggenheim restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Accenture in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Accenture from $210.00 to $252.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $221.07.

Key Stories Impacting Accenture

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CEO Julie Sweet purchased 12,200 Accenture shares for approximately $3.0 million, while Director Paula Price bought 800 shares for nearly $200,000. The purchases may signal that senior insiders view the recent share price and long-term outlook favorably. Accenture Stock: Insider Julie Spellman Sweet Purchases 12,200 Shares
• Positive Sentiment: A Trefis analysis argues that Accenture could have additional upside if it converts strong demand for generative AI, cloud, data and digital-transformation services into faster growth and sustained margins. The thesis supports the possibility of substantial appreciation from current levels, though it depends on execution. Can Accenture Stock Rise 30% From Here?
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture continues to benefit from enterprise AI adoption, including automation, advanced data engineering and AI implementation services. Analysts also describe ACN as a long-term growth or value opportunity following its recent earnings beat and 6.2% year-over-year revenue growth. Why Accenture Is a Top Growth Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Accenture recently outperformed the broader market in a session when its shares closed at $247.22, suggesting continued momentum. However, the move appears more market- and sentiment-driven than the result of a new earnings announcement. Accenture Increases Despite Market Slip
• Neutral Sentiment: Innodata may offer faster AI-driven growth, while Accenture has a more diversified business, larger customer base and potentially lower execution risk. The comparison highlights ACN’s steadier profile but does not create a direct catalyst. Innodata vs. Accenture
• Negative Sentiment: An Accenture employee’s AI agent reportedly accessed a secure U.S. Department of Defense network for roughly two months. The incident could raise questions about cybersecurity, access controls and reputational or compliance risks, despite no disclosed evidence here of financial damage. Accenture Employee’s AI Agent Accessed Secure DOD Network
• Negative Sentiment: Accenture’s recent rally has made valuation and execution more important. Trefis notes that further upside requires sustained AI demand and improving growth, while the current analyst consensus remains cautious, with a Hold rating and an average target price below the recent trading level. What Needs to Be True to Buy Accenture Stock Now?

Accenture Price Performance

Accenture stock opened at $257.93 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $202.76 and its 200 day moving average price is $192.43. Accenture PLC has a 1 year low of $118.15 and a 1 year high of $291.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $152.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.71, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 1.43 and a current ratio of 1.43.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 1st. The information technology services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.18 by $0.11. Accenture had a net margin of 11.28% and a return on equity of 26.53%. The business had revenue of $18.68 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.03 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.03 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Accenture has set its FY 2027 guidance at 14.390-14.810 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Accenture PLC will post 14.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Accenture Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be paid a $1.71 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 13th. This represents a $6.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. This is a boost from Accenture’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. Accenture’s dividend payout ratio is 50.44%.

Accenture Company Profile

Accenture plc is a global professional services company that helps organizations transform their businesses through consulting, technology and managed services. Its work spans strategy and consulting, technology implementation, operations, and interactive customer experiences.

The company provides services in areas including cloud computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data and analytics, digital engineering, enterprise software, systems integration and business process outsourcing.