Davis Investment Partners LLC Purchases 9,385 Shares of Accenture PLC $ACN

Davis Investment Partners LLC purchased a new position in Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 9,385 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,721,000. Accenture comprises approximately 0.5% of Davis Investment Partners LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest position.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its holdings in shares of Accenture by 2.2% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 6,531,231 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $1,295,078,000 after purchasing an additional 143,483 shares during the last quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Accenture by 17.7% during the 3rd quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 6,054,682 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $1,110,247,000 after buying an additional 912,506 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in Accenture by 120.0% during the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,482,150 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $690,475,000 after buying an additional 1,899,305 shares during the last quarter. Flossbach Von Storch SE purchased a new position in Accenture during the 2nd quarter worth $309,873,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its position in Accenture by 24.3% during the 1st quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 2,384,954 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $472,913,000 after buying an additional 466,452 shares in the last quarter. 75.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Accenture Stock Performance

Shares of ACN opened at $258.82 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $213.02 and a two-hundred day moving average of $191.64. Accenture PLC has a one year low of $118.15 and a one year high of $291.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 1.43 and a current ratio of 1.43. The stock has a market cap of $152.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.09, a P/E/G ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 1.01.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 1st. The information technology services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.18 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $18.68 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.03 billion. Accenture had a return on equity of 26.53% and a net margin of 11.28%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.03 EPS. Accenture has set its FY 2027 guidance at 14.390-14.810 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Accenture PLC will post 14.68 EPS for the current year.

Accenture Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be issued a dividend of $1.71 per share. This represents a $6.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. This is a positive change from Accenture’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 13th. Accenture’s dividend payout ratio is presently 50.44%.

Key Headlines Impacting Accenture

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture is working with Qantas to modernize its operations, providing evidence of continued demand for its transformation services. Qantas said the program will involve cutting 850 jobs over the coming years; the reductions are at Qantas, not Accenture. Reuters: Australia’s Qantas to axe 850 jobs in offshoring deal with Accenture
• Positive Sentiment: A WSIB digital modernization project involving Accenture reduced employer registration from eight to ten business days to under ten minutes. The result offers a concrete example of Accenture’s ability to deliver cloud-based transformation and could help support future client sales. Ontario WSIB project announcement
• Positive Sentiment: U.S. management and technical consulting employment rose by 17,300 in October, its biggest monthly increase since December 2024. The gain may indicate improving demand for consulting services, although it does not guarantee higher spending at Accenture. The Overlooked AI Trade Hiding in a Beaten-Down Corner of the Market
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent comparisons describe Accenture as a large, profitable company with strong cash generation, but note that its revenue has fluctuated while some software peers have shown steadier growth. These comparisons highlight competitive strengths and trade-offs rather than a new change in the company’s outlook. Accenture vs. Adobe comparison
• Neutral Sentiment: The Qantas job cuts may draw scrutiny because the modernization arrangement includes offshoring, though the reporting does not indicate a direct financial or operational cost to Accenture. Qantas to Cut 850 Jobs After Tech Deal With Accenture

Insider Transactions at Accenture

In related news, CEO Ryoji Sekido sold 5,844 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $244.84, for a total value of $1,430,844.96. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 1,194 shares in the company, valued at $292,338.96. This represents a 83.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Paula Price purchased 800 shares of Accenture stock in a transaction on Monday, October 26th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $249.81 per share, with a total value of $199,848.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 9,361 shares in the company, valued at $2,338,471.41. The trade was a 9.34% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have sold 18,675 shares of company stock valued at $4,747,563 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.02% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on ACN. Evercore set a $250.00 price objective on shares of Accenture and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 1st. Robert W. Baird cut shares of Accenture from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $245.00 to $252.00 in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. Wolfe Research lifted 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 raised shares of Accenture from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $220.00 price target on shares of Accenture in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Accenture presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $221.07.

Accenture Company Profile

Accenture plc is a global professional services company that helps businesses, governments and other organizations solve operational and technology challenges. Its work includes strategy and management consulting, digital transformation, systems integration and the design, implementation and management of technology solutions. The company serves clients across a broad range of industries and geographies. Its services span cloud computing, data and artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, software and platforms, business process operations, and digital marketing and customer experience.