Accenture (NYSE:ACN) Price Target Raised to $153.00

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) had its price target upped by Susquehanna from $140.00 to $153.00 in a research report sent to investors on Monday morning, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has a neutral rating on the information technology services provider’s stock.

Several other brokerages have also recently commented on ACN. Mizuho reduced their price target on shares of Accenture from $280.00 to $226.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on Accenture from $136.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, September 18th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Accenture from $150.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Accenture in a report on Wednesday, August 26th. Finally, Dbs Bank lowered Accenture from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Accenture has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $200.52.

Accenture Stock Up 3.6%

Shares of NYSE:ACN opened at $183.53 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $122.56 billion, a PE ratio of 14.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $178.40 and a 200 day simple moving average of $173.35. The company has a current ratio of 1.34, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. Accenture has a 12-month low of $118.15 and a 12-month high of $291.09.

Accenture declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Tuesday, June 23rd that authorizes the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the information technology services provider to purchase up to 2.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at Accenture

In other news, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 10,498 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.98, for a total transaction of $1,710,964.04. Following the sale, the general counsel directly owned 17,735 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,890,450.30. This represents a 37.18% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 0.02% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. IMG Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Accenture by 134.8% during the first quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 155 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the period. Modus Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Accenture in the 4th quarter worth about $45,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new stake in Accenture in the 4th quarter valued at about $54,000. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management bought a new stake in Accenture in the 4th quarter valued at about $56,000. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Accenture by 57.9% during the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 210 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares during the period. 75.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Accenture

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AI alliances could significantly expand bookings. UBS says Accenture is on pace to more than double bookings from emerging alliances, including collaborations with Nvidia, strengthening the case that AI is creating new consulting and implementation work rather than only threatening existing services. Accenture on Pace to More Than Double Bookings With Emerging Alliances, UBS Says
• Positive Sentiment: New transformation projects support revenue visibility. Accenture helped Sodiaal complete a major international IT integration for Yoplait Liberté Canada and also secured supply-chain and Oracle Cloud transformation work. These wins reinforce demand for cloud, enterprise technology and systems-integration services. Accenture Helps Sodiaal Complete International Integration of Yoplait Liberté Canada
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts anticipate year-over-year growth. Earnings previews point to expected revenue and earnings growth, supported by AI demand, improving federal activity and strength in several markets. Recent reports also cite approximately 5.6% fiscal third-quarter revenue growth. ACN Set to Report Q4 Earnings: Here’s What Investors Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings-related volatility is likely to remain high. Options traders expect a substantial move around the upcoming report, while analysts have raised price targets but remain divided over whether the recent rally already reflects the AI opportunity. Here’s How Much Traders See Accenture Stock Moving After Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: “SaaSpocalypse” concerns remain an overhang. Investors are weighing whether AI-powered software will reduce demand for traditional consulting and technology services. Accenture’s earnings outlook therefore depends on proving that new AI-related work and bookings can offset potential disruption to its legacy business. Accenture Q4 Preview: SaaSpocalypse Concerns Persist, but AI Tailwinds Offer Optimism

Accenture Company Profile

Accenture plc (NYSE: ACN) is a global professional services company that helps organizations improve performance, modernize operations and respond to technological and market changes. Its services span strategy and consulting, technology, operations, and managed services, with expertise across industries including communications, financial services, health care, public service, retail, manufacturing and resources.

The company provides digital transformation, cloud migration, data and artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, systems integration and technology implementation services.