Accenture PLC $ACN Shares Sold by BDF Gestion

BDF Gestion lowered its stake in Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) by 17.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 16,757 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock after selling 3,486 shares during the quarter. BDF Gestion’s holdings in Accenture were worth $4,132,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Accenture by 2.1% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 65,129,782 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $19,466,641,000 after buying an additional 1,315,548 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Accenture by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 28,016,605 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $8,373,925,000 after acquiring an additional 326,979 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Accenture by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 14,042,843 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $4,182,331,000 after acquiring an additional 147,931 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its position in Accenture by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 8,998,826 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $2,689,659,000 after acquiring an additional 56,108 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sanders Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Accenture during the second quarter worth about $2,637,640,000. 75.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Accenture News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Beat on revenue and earnings; bookings strength. Accenture reported Q1 FY2026 revenue (~$18.7B) and EPS that topped consensus, and management said bookings rose in the double‑digits — a core reason analysts cite for confidence. Accenture Reports First-Quarter Fiscal 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: AI momentum and client adoption. Management said roughly 100 incremental clients started AI projects over nine quarters and emphasized AI bookings as a growth driver — a positive catalyst for longer‑term revenue mix and margins. Accenture’s AI Momentum Impresses Analysts Despite Early-Stage Rollouts
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic government/AI partnerships. Accenture Federal Services announced work with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission — a high‑profile AI initiative that can expand federal revenue and credibility in cutting‑edge AI services. Accenture Partners With U.S. Department of Energy
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend and cash flow strength. Company declared a quarterly dividend ($1.63 per share) and reported stronger operating cash flow, supporting shareholder returns and the balance sheet. (Dividend announcement included in company filings.)
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional endorsement. The Aoris International Fund flagged a positive outlook on Accenture in its investor letter, signaling continued institutional interest. Aoris International Fund Has a Positive Outlook on Accenture
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst moves are mixed. TD Cowen raised its target to $300 (buy), Susquehanna nudged its target to $277 (neutral). These adjustments show differing views on upside but don’t move consensus decisively. TD Cowen Adjusts Price Target Susquehanna Adjusts Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term revenue guidance disappointed some. Management’s Q2 revenue range and FY revenue midpoint were viewed as slightly conservative versus Street expectations, prompting profit‑taking despite the beat. Accenture dips despite Q1 beat, Q2 revenue outlook below estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed investor concerns about AI’s long‑term impact and recent stock weakness. Some commentaries point to investor worry over how AI changes demand dynamics and note ACN’s price has pulled back from earlier highs — factors that can amplify volatility. Accenture stock price dropped after earnings

Insider Activity at Accenture

In other news, CEO Julie Spellman Sweet sold 5,917 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $246.62, for a total value of $1,459,250.54. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 8,599 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,120,685.38. This represents a 40.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Manish Sharma sold 6,902 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.01, for a total value of $1,725,569.02. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 1,860 shares in the company, valued at approximately $465,018.60. This represents a 78.77% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 33,319 shares of company stock valued at $8,335,225 in the last three months. 0.02% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Accenture Stock Performance

Shares of ACN opened at $272.57 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $179.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 1.26. Accenture PLC has a 52-week low of $229.40 and a 52-week high of $398.35. The company has a quick ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $252.81 and a 200 day moving average price of $264.05.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 18th. The information technology services provider reported $3.94 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.73 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $18.74 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.51 billion. Accenture had a net margin of 10.76% and a return on equity of 26.65%. The company’s revenue was up 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.59 EPS. Accenture has set its FY 2026 guidance at 13.520-13.900 EPS. Research analysts predict that Accenture PLC will post 12.73 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Accenture Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, January 13th will be issued a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 13th. Accenture’s payout ratio is presently 53.66%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on ACN. Mizuho dropped their price objective on shares of Accenture from $348.00 to $309.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, September 29th. Susquehanna boosted their price target on shares of Accenture from $270.00 to $277.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $330.00 price objective on shares of Accenture in a research report on Thursday. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on Accenture from $350.00 to $330.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, September 26th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on Accenture from $355.00 to $315.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, September 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $298.29.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global professional services company that provides a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. The firm works with organizations across industries to design and implement business transformation programs, deploy and manage enterprise technology, optimize operations, and develop customer and digital experiences. Its offerings encompass management and technology consulting, systems integration, application and infrastructure services, cloud migration and managed services, as well as security and analytics capabilities.

The company delivers industry- and function-specific solutions, combining consulting expertise with proprietary tools, platforms and partnerships with major technology vendors.