Accenture (NYSE:ACN) Upgraded at HSBC

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) was upgraded by equities researchers at HSBC from a “reduce” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Friday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has a $220.00 target price on the information technology services provider’s stock. HSBC’s price target points to a potential upside of 7.66% from the company’s previous close.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on shares of Accenture from $330.00 to $265.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Piper Sandler set a $282.00 target price on shares of Accenture in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $300.00 target price on Accenture in a report on Thursday, December 18th. TD Cowen cut their price target on Accenture from $282.00 to $275.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price objective on Accenture from $280.00 to $230.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Eighteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Accenture has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $282.15.

Accenture Price Performance

Shares of ACN traded up $0.80 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $204.35. 1,086,239 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,131,162. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $235.99 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $247.16. Accenture has a 12-month low of $187.00 and a 12-month high of $325.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a current ratio of 1.41. The company has a market cap of $125.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.27.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 19th. The information technology services provider reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.84 by $0.09. Accenture had a return on equity of 26.65% and a net margin of 10.76%.The company had revenue of $18.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.80 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.82 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Accenture will post 12.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 1,026 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $281.70, for a total value of $289,024.20. Following the transaction, the general counsel directly owned 27,181 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,656,887.70. This represents a 3.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO John F. Walsh sold 3,986 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $276.38, for a total value of $1,101,650.68. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 27,221 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,523,339.98. This trade represents a 12.77% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 22,088 shares of company stock worth $5,970,434. 0.02% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Accenture

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Investors Research Corp raised its stake in shares of Accenture by 73.8% in the 3rd quarter. Investors Research Corp now owns 106 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in Accenture by 132.6% in the 3rd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 107 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in Accenture in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Board of the Pension Protection Fund acquired a new position in Accenture during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Accenture during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. 75.14% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Accenture

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results beat and record AI-driven bookings — Accenture reported fiscal Q2 results above expectations (EPS $2.93 vs. ~$2.84 consensus) and reported record bookings and accelerating AI/cloud demand, supporting revenue growth and proof of durable demand. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic AI & cloud partnerships bolster growth runway — New/expanded collaborations with Microsoft, Databricks and other partners (including MxDR cyber capabilities with Microsoft) position Accenture to capture enterprise AI transformation spending. Article Title Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared — Accenture declared a quarterly dividend of $1.63 per share (ex-dividend April 9, payable May 15), supporting income-oriented investors and signaling cash-return discipline.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst price-target resets — Robert W. Baird cut its target to $265 (still an Outperform) and TD Cowen trimmed its target, reflecting lower near-term multiples but continued conviction in medium-term fundamentals. Article Title Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue guidance/near-term outlook disappointed — Management forecasted quarterly revenue below some analyst estimates and issued a cautious near‑term outlook as clients show caution on large IT transformation projects, which triggered the sell-off despite the beat. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction and AI-risk sentiment — Despite strong bookings and partnerships, investors remain wary after a large YTD share decline tied to AI disruption fears; several headlines note the stock fell on the mixed print and guidance miss, amplifying downside pressure. Article Title Article Title

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.