Capital International Sarl increased its position in Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN – Free Report) by 100.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 38,425 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 19,238 shares during the period. Capital International Sarl’s holdings in Accenture were worth $10,309,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of ACN. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Accenture during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Board of the Pension Protection Fund acquired a new stake in shares of Accenture during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Accenture during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Private Wealth Management Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Accenture by 96.4% during the 4th quarter. Private Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 108 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 53 shares during the period. Finally, Steph & Co. boosted its stake in shares of Accenture by 107.5% during the 4th quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 110 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 57 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.14% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on ACN shares. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Accenture from $320.00 to $240.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of Accenture from $215.00 to $195.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, June 1st. TD Cowen cut their price target on shares of Accenture from $282.00 to $275.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 16th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Accenture in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on shares of Accenture from $295.00 to $253.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 20th. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $265.54.
Insider Buying and Selling
In related news, CEO Atsushi Egawa sold 4,872 shares of Accenture stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $177.14, for a total value of $863,026.08. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 12,802 shares in the company, valued at $2,267,746.28. This trade represents a 27.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.02% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Accenture Stock Up 0.1%
Accenture stock opened at $178.45 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $118.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.09. Accenture PLC has a 1-year low of $155.82 and a 1-year high of $321.77. The company has a current ratio of 1.34, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $184.29 and its 200-day simple moving average is $224.23.
Accenture (NYSE:ACN – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, March 20th. The information technology services provider reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.84 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $18.04 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.80 billion. Accenture had a net margin of 10.61% and a return on equity of 26.33%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.82 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Accenture PLC will post 13.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Accenture Announces Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 9th were issued a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 9th. Accenture’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 53.40%.
Accenture News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Accenture’s strong earnings-surprise track record and said the company has the ingredients for another beat when it next reports results, which can lift sentiment ahead of earnings. Will Accenture (ACN) Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
- Positive Sentiment: Stifel Nicolaus reiterated its Buy rating on Accenture, reinforcing the view that the stock remains attractive at current levels. Stifel Nicolaus Sticks to Its Buy Rating for Accenture (ACN)
- Positive Sentiment: Accenture announced a strategic investment and partnership with AlphaSense to bring agentic AI workflows for market intelligence to enterprises, underscoring continued momentum in AI services and enterprise transformation. Accenture and AlphaSense Announce Strategic Investment and Partnership to Bring Agentic Workflows for Market Intelligence to Enterprises
- Positive Sentiment: TEPCO Solution Advance also said it is working with Accenture to reinvent operations with AI, adding another example of new client demand tied to Accenture’s AI consulting capabilities. TEPCO Solution Advance Teams with Accenture to Reinvent Operations with AI
- Neutral Sentiment: Several recent opinion pieces argued that Accenture looks undervalued on earnings and cash flow metrics, which may help investor confidence, but these were commentary rather than new fundamentals. Accenture: A 57% Drop Meets A 12.8 P/E – The Ultimate Margin Of Safety
- Neutral Sentiment: Other analysis said AI is accelerating demand rather than disrupting Accenture’s business model, supporting the long-term bull case but not changing near-term results on its own. Accenture: AI Is Accelerating Instead Of Disrupting The Consultancy
- Negative Sentiment: At least one recent valuation update trimmed Accenture’s fair value estimate and another note pointed to softer IT spending and AI competition, reflecting lingering caution around growth and margins. How The Investment Story For Accenture (ACN) Is Shifting With AI And Softer IT Spending
Accenture Company Profile
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.
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