Accenture PLC $ACN Stock: Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. Raises Holdings

Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 110,774 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,135 shares during the period. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Accenture were worth $20,312,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. IMG Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Accenture by 134.8% during the 1st quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 155 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Foresight Capital Management Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Accenture during the third quarter worth $31,000. Signature Equity Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Accenture by 50.9% during the third quarter. Signature Equity Partners LLC now owns 172 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Accenture by 147.1% during the second quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 215 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Accenture by 587.5% during the third quarter. Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 220 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 188 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.14% of the company’s stock.

Accenture Trading Up 1.8%

ACN stock opened at $258.82 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. Accenture PLC has a 12-month low of $118.15 and a 12-month high of $291.09. The stock has a market cap of $152.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.09, a PEG ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 1.01. The business’s 50-day moving average is $213.02 and its 200 day moving average is $191.64.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 1st. The information technology services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) 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 company had revenue of $18.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.03 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. Accenture has set its FY 2027 guidance at 14.390-14.810 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Accenture PLC will post 14.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Accenture Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be paid a $1.71 dividend. This is a boost 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 dividend yield of 2.6%. Accenture’s dividend payout ratio is currently 50.44%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on shares of Accenture from $136.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, September 18th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Accenture from $210.00 to $252.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 26th. Citigroup raised their target price on Accenture from $135.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 24th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on Accenture from $150.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, Mizuho lifted their price target on Accenture from $226.00 to $241.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $221.07.

Accenture News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture is working with Qantas to modernize its operations, providing evidence of continued demand for its transformation services. Qantas said the program will involve cutting 850 jobs over the coming years; the reductions are at Qantas, not Accenture. Reuters: Australia’s Qantas to axe 850 jobs in offshoring deal with Accenture
• Positive Sentiment: A WSIB digital modernization project involving Accenture reduced employer registration from eight to ten business days to under ten minutes. The result offers a concrete example of Accenture’s ability to deliver cloud-based transformation and could help support future client sales. Ontario WSIB project announcement
• Positive Sentiment: U.S. management and technical consulting employment rose by 17,300 in October, its biggest monthly increase since December 2024. The gain may indicate improving demand for consulting services, although it does not guarantee higher spending at Accenture. The Overlooked AI Trade Hiding in a Beaten-Down Corner of the Market
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent comparisons describe Accenture as a large, profitable company with strong cash generation, but note that its revenue has fluctuated while some software peers have shown steadier growth. These comparisons highlight competitive strengths and trade-offs rather than a new change in the company’s outlook. Accenture vs. Adobe comparison
• Neutral Sentiment: The Qantas job cuts may draw scrutiny because the modernization arrangement includes offshoring, though the reporting does not indicate a direct financial or operational cost to Accenture. Qantas to Cut 850 Jobs After Tech Deal With Accenture

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Accenture news, COO Catherine Hogan sold 1,320 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $264,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 12,556 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,511,200. This represents a 9.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Julie Sweet acquired 12,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 26th. The stock was bought at an average price of $245.99 per share, for a total transaction of $3,001,078.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 48,910 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,031,370.90. The trade was a 33.23% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 18,675 shares of company stock worth $4,747,563. Corporate insiders own 0.02% of the company’s stock.

Accenture Profile

Accenture plc is a global professional services company that helps businesses, governments and other organizations solve operational and technology challenges. Its work includes strategy and management consulting, digital transformation, systems integration and the design, implementation and management of technology solutions. The company serves clients across a broad range of industries and geographies. Its services span cloud computing, data and artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, software and platforms, business process operations, and digital marketing and customer experience.