Accenture PLC $ACN Stock Sold by Ninety One UK Ltd

Ninety One UK Ltd reduced its holdings in shares of Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) by 81.6% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 36,947 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock after selling 163,635 shares during the quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd’s holdings in Accenture were worth $6,775,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Accenture by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,819 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $334,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the period. Hibernia Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in 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 valued at $269,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. City National Bank of Florida MSD lifted its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. Kennebec Savings Bank boosted its position in Accenture by 38.0% during the first 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 during the period. Finally, GS Investments Inc. boosted its position in Accenture by 0.5% during the first quarter. GS Investments Inc. now owns 12,415 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $2,462,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the period. 75.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Accenture News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture outlined a three-year framework targeting at least mid-single-digit revenue growth, with potential acceleration through fiscal 2029. RBC said artificial intelligence is becoming a net demand driver, supporting expectations for stronger consulting and technology-services bookings. Accenture Sees AI as Net Demand Driver
• Positive Sentiment: Expanded alliances with Dell Technologies, Workday and Anthropic, along with the acquisition of Sagacity Solutions, reinforce Accenture’s strategy of helping enterprises deploy agentic AI, private AI infrastructure and AI-powered customer analytics. These initiatives could increase demand for consulting, implementation and managed services. Accenture AI Deals and Dividend Hike
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture raised its quarterly dividend to $1.71 per share from $1.63, equivalent to an annualized $6.84 payout and an approximately 3.2% yield. The company also has an authorized $2 billion share-repurchase program, improving shareholder returns and signaling confidence in the valuation.
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s latest quarterly results exceeded estimates, with earnings of $3.29 per share and revenue of $18.68 billion, up 6.2% year over year. Strong cash flow, bookings and a relatively modest valuation remain additional supports for the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: Susquehanna raised its price target to $230 from $210 but kept a neutral rating. TD Cowen also lifted its target, to $201 from $193, while retaining a hold rating. The mixed recommendations suggest analysts see improved prospects but limited near-term upside after the rally. Accenture Trending Stock Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned that cautious client spending, pricing pressure, acquisition dependence and execution risk could limit growth. Some commentary also argues that the recent rally has outpaced Accenture’s underlying fundamentals.
• Negative Sentiment: COO Catherine Hogan sold 700 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The transaction was relatively small and planned in advance, but it may modestly weigh on sentiment. Accenture Insider Transaction

Insider Transactions at Accenture

In related news, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 10,498 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.98, for a total transaction of $1,710,964.04. Following the transaction, the general counsel directly owned 17,735 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,890,450.30. This trade represents a 37.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, COO Catherine Hogan sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $214.24, for a total transaction of $149,968.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 11,856 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,540,029.44. This represents a 5.58% 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. In the last three months, insiders sold 12,518 shares of company stock valued at $2,124,932. 0.02% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ACN has been the topic of several research reports. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated a “reduce” rating on shares of Accenture in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Wolfe Research raised their target price on shares of Accenture from $165.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Accenture in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $242.00 target price on shares of Accenture in a report on Thursday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Accenture from $230.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 1st. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $219.26.

Accenture Stock Performance

NYSE:ACN opened at $224.84 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $150.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.58, a PEG ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.11. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $188.31 and a 200 day simple moving average of $174.15. 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 PLC has a 1-year low of $118.15 and a 1-year high of $291.09.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last released 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 return on equity of 26.53% and a net margin of 11.28%. The business had revenue of $18.68 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.03 billion. During the same period 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. Research analysts anticipate that Accenture PLC will post 14.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Accenture declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Tuesday, June 23rd that allows the company to buy back $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the information technology services provider to reacquire up to 2.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Accenture Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be issued a dividend of $1.71 per share. This is an increase from Accenture’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. This represents a $6.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 13th. Accenture’s payout ratio is 50.44%.

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.