Insider Selling: Accenture (NYSE:ACN) COO Sells $149,968.00 in Stock

Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) COO Catherine Hogan sold 700 shares of Accenture stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $214.24, for a total value of $149,968.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 11,856 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,540,029.44. This trade represents a 5.58% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Catherine Kiernan Hogan also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Thursday, October 8th, Catherine Hogan sold 1,320 shares of Accenture stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total transaction of $264,000.00.

Accenture Stock Performance

NYSE ACN traded down $1.56 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $213.31. 6,309,064 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,998,098. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a current ratio of 1.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $142.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.73, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.11. Accenture PLC has a 12-month low of $118.15 and a 12-month high of $291.09. The business has a 50 day moving average of $185.50 and a 200-day moving average of $173.65.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last posted 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. The firm had revenue of $18.68 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.03 billion. Accenture had a net margin of 11.28% and a return on equity of 26.53%. The company’s revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.03 earnings per share. 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 declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, June 23rd that allows the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the information technology services provider to repurchase up to 2.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Accenture Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be issued 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 yield of 3.2%. Accenture’s payout ratio is 48.08%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on ACN shares. Susquehanna lifted their price target on Accenture from $153.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 1st. BNP Paribas Exane dropped their price objective on Accenture from $180.00 to $130.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, June 26th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Accenture in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on Accenture from $175.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $220.00 target price on Accenture in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $219.15.

Accenture News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture acquired Sagacity Solutions, a UK customer-intelligence company, to expand AI-driven customer services across Accenture Song’s UK and Ireland operations. The deal could strengthen the company’s AI capabilities and support cross-selling opportunities. Accenture Acquires Sagacity Solutions
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and research commentary point to AI momentum, strategic acquisitions, strong cash flow and a relatively discounted valuation as reasons to remain constructive on ACN. Accenture is targeting at least $11 billion in free cash flow and more than $9.5 billion for dividends and share repurchases in fiscal 2027. Accenture Valuation and Market Sentiment
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option activity indicates increased speculative bullish interest, with approximately 58,099 calls purchased versus typical volume of about 16,712 contracts.
• Neutral Sentiment: Accenture’s shares have surged roughly 60% over three months following earnings and guidance updates, prompting investors to reassess whether the rally already reflects much of the AI opportunity. Accenture Stock Rally Analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are watching upcoming company-related events and analyst commentary for evidence that AI demand is translating into faster revenue growth.
• Negative Sentiment: Concerns remain about cautious client spending, pricing pressure and fiscal 2027 revenue growth of approximately 3% to 6%. These issues could limit earnings acceleration despite AI demand.
• Negative Sentiment: Chief Operating Officer John Walsh reportedly sold approximately $264,000 of ACN stock, a modest insider transaction but a potential short-term sentiment headwind. Accenture Insider Sale

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ACN. IMG Wealth Management Inc. raised its position 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 buying an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new stake in shares of Accenture during the 4th quarter worth $54,000. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management purchased a new position in Accenture in the fourth quarter worth $56,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its position in Accenture by 57.9% in the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 210 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dogwood Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Accenture by 147.1% in the second quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 215 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 128 shares during the last quarter. 75.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.