Accenture (NYSE:ACN) Price Target Raised to $220.00

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) had its price objective upped by Truist Financial from $150.00 to $220.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday morning, MarketBeat reports. Truist Financial currently has a hold rating on the information technology services provider’s stock.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Accenture from $175.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday. Susquehanna boosted their price objective on Accenture from $153.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Accenture from $179.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, September 25th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Accenture from $150.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Finally, Oppenheimer set a $201.00 price objective on shares of Accenture in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $218.59.

Accenture Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE ACN opened at $199.17 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a current ratio of 1.43. Accenture has a 1 year low of $118.15 and a 1 year high of $291.09. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $180.91 and its 200-day simple moving average is $173.46. The firm has a market cap of $133.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.69, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.11.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 firm had revenue of $18.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.03 earnings per share. 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. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Accenture will post 14.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Accenture declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback program on Tuesday, June 23rd that allows the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the information technology services provider to repurchase up to 2.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Accenture Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be issued a $1.71 dividend. 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.4%. Accenture’s payout ratio is 48.08%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Accenture

In other news, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 10,498 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.98, for a total value of $1,710,964.04. Following the sale, the general counsel owned 17,735 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,890,450.30. This trade represents a 37.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 0.02% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Accenture

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. First Command Advisory Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Accenture by 10.9% in the fourth quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. now owns 499 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $134,000 after buying an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Claret Asset Management Corp increased its holdings in Accenture by 4.6% during the fourth quarter. Claret Asset Management Corp now owns 1,143 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $307,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Hibernia Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake 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 worth $269,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. City National Bank of Florida MSD grew its position in shares of Accenture by 5.8% during the 4th quarter. City National Bank of Florida MSD now owns 1,073 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $288,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares during the period. Finally, Kennebec Savings Bank increased its stake in shares of Accenture by 38.0% in the 1st quarter. Kennebec Savings Bank now owns 218 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. 75.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Accenture

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong quarterly beat: Fiscal fourth-quarter revenue rose 6.2% year over year to $18.68 billion, exceeding the $18.03 billion consensus estimate, while EPS of $3.29 topped expectations of $3.18. Accenture fiscal fourth-quarter earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Bookings eased AI-disruption fears: Quarterly bookings reached $22.17 billion, up 4%, contributing to record fiscal-year bookings of approximately $84.5 billion. Management said AI demand is broadening into fiscal 2027, supported by large-scale reinvention projects and managed services. Accenture Q4 earnings call and AI demand
• Positive Sentiment: Constructive fiscal 2027 outlook: Accenture forecast 3%–6% revenue growth in local currency, a 15.9%–16.1% operating margin and $14.39–$14.81 in EPS. The company also plans roughly $5 billion of acquisitions, signaling continued investment in growth. Accenture fiscal 2027 outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst target increases: Argus raised its target to $260 with a Buy rating, while RBC lifted its target to $240 and upgraded the stock to Outperform. Truist also raised its target to $220, though it retained a Hold rating.
• Positive Sentiment: Higher shareholder returns: Accenture increased its quarterly dividend 4.9% to $1.71 per share, or $6.84 annually, representing a yield of about 3.4%.

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.