Accenture’s (ACN) “Neutral” Rating Reiterated at Guggenheim

Guggenheim reissued their neutral rating on shares of Accenture (NYSE:ACN) in a research note released on Friday,Benzinga reports.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on ACN. Argus increased their target price on shares of Accenture from $220.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Accenture from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Accenture from $179.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Accenture in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Evercore set a $250.00 target price on shares of Accenture and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $218.59.

Accenture Price Performance

Accenture stock opened at $199.17 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.34. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $180.91 and a 200-day simple moving average of $173.46. Accenture has a 12 month low of $118.15 and a 12 month high of $291.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $133.01 billion, a PE ratio of 14.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.11.

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

Accenture Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be given a $1.71 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 13th. This represents a $6.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. This is an increase from Accenture’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. Accenture’s payout ratio is 48.08%.

Accenture announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, June 23rd that allows the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the information technology services provider to repurchase up to 2.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Accenture

In other Accenture news, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 10,498 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.98, for a total transaction of $1,710,964.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel owned 17,735 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,890,450.30. The trade was a 37.18% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 0.02% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Accenture

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. IMG Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in Accenture by 134.8% during the 1st quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 155 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the period. Modus Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Accenture in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new position in shares of Accenture in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $54,000. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Accenture during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $56,000. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Accenture by 57.9% during the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 210 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.14% of the company’s stock.

Accenture News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong quarterly beat: Fiscal fourth-quarter revenue rose 6.2% year over year to $18.68 billion, exceeding the $18.03 billion consensus estimate, while EPS of $3.29 topped expectations of $3.18. Accenture fiscal fourth-quarter earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Bookings eased AI-disruption fears: Quarterly bookings reached $22.17 billion, up 4%, contributing to record fiscal-year bookings of approximately $84.5 billion. Management said AI demand is broadening into fiscal 2027, supported by large-scale reinvention projects and managed services. Accenture Q4 earnings call and AI demand
• Positive Sentiment: Constructive fiscal 2027 outlook: Accenture forecast 3%–6% revenue growth in local currency, a 15.9%–16.1% operating margin and $14.39–$14.81 in EPS. The company also plans roughly $5 billion of acquisitions, signaling continued investment in growth. Accenture fiscal 2027 outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst target increases: Argus raised its target to $260 with a Buy rating, while RBC lifted its target to $240 and upgraded the stock to Outperform. Truist also raised its target to $220, though it retained a Hold rating.
• Positive Sentiment: Higher shareholder returns: Accenture increased its quarterly dividend 4.9% to $1.71 per share, or $6.84 annually, representing a yield of about 3.4%.

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.