Accenture PLC $ACN Stock Acquired by Valley Wealth Managers Inc.

Valley Wealth Managers Inc. boosted its position in Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) by 5.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 91,990 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,637 shares during the quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc.’s holdings in Accenture were worth $16,868,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Flossbach Von Storch SE acquired a new stake in Accenture in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $309,873,000. First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Accenture by 120.0% in the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,482,150 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $690,475,000 after purchasing an additional 1,899,305 shares in the last quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Accenture by 84.0% during the first quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 2,405,683 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $477,023,000 after purchasing an additional 1,097,961 shares during the period. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Accenture during the fourth quarter valued at about $253,120,000. Finally, Artemis Investment Management LLP lifted its holdings in Accenture by 67.6% in the third quarter. Artemis Investment Management LLP now owns 2,196,789 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $402,825,000 after purchasing an additional 885,687 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 75.14% of the company’s stock.

Accenture Price Performance

ACN stock opened at $208.39 on Friday. Accenture PLC has a one year low of $118.15 and a one year high of $291.09. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $184.52 and a two-hundred day moving average of $173.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $139.16 billion, a PE ratio of 15.37, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a current ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 1st. The information technology services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 firm’s quarterly 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. On average, analysts forecast that Accenture PLC will post 14.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Accenture Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be paid a dividend of $1.71 per share. This is an increase from Accenture’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 13th. This represents a $6.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.3%. Accenture’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 48.08%.

Accenture announced that its board has initiated a share repurchase program 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 shares through open market purchases. Share repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on ACN. Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of Accenture from $150.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group set a $220.00 price target on shares of Accenture in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. TD Cowen raised their price objective on shares of Accenture from $173.00 to $193.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 1st. Mizuho boosted their target price on Accenture from $226.00 to $241.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Citigroup upped their target price on Accenture from $135.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 24th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Accenture has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $219.15.

Accenture News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture’s fiscal fourth-quarter results exceeded expectations, with adjusted EPS of $3.29 versus the $3.18 consensus and revenue of $18.68 billion versus estimates of $18.03 billion. Revenue increased 6.2% year over year, helping drive the recent rally. Accenture Could Be 30% Undervalued
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentators increasingly view Accenture as an undervalued artificial-intelligence and enterprise-services beneficiary. The company’s AI-related work and enterprise momentum could convert elevated AI spending into longer-term revenue growth. Is Accenture the Market’s Most Overlooked AI Play?
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture increased its dividend by 4.91%, signaling continued confidence in cash generation. One dividend-focused analysis rated ACN highly and estimated substantial upside to fair value, although the increase was below the company’s five-year dividend-growth rate. Dividend Announcements
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Accenture as a strong momentum stock, reflecting improving price performance and investor interest following the earnings beat. Why Accenture Is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Investors continue to monitor whether AI-driven efficiency and pricing pressure could reduce fees for consulting work. Management acknowledged lower pricing in several areas during the quarter, creating a potential risk to margins and future growth. What Would It Take for AI Price Cuts to Break Accenture Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: COO Catherine Hogan sold 1,320 shares for approximately $264,000 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The transaction reduced her holdings by 9.51%, but its scheduled nature limits its significance as a bearish signal.

Insider Buying and Selling at Accenture

In related news, COO Catherine Hogan sold 1,320 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total transaction of $264,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 12,556 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,511,200. The trade was a 9.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 10,498 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.98, for a total value of $1,710,964.04. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel directly owned 17,735 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,890,450.30. This represents a 37.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.02% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Accenture

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.