10,664 Shares of Accenture PLC $ACN Bought by Ellsworth Advisors LLC

Ellsworth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 10,664 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,955,000.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Accenture by 10.4% during the 2nd quarter. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 74,187 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $9,232,000 after acquiring an additional 7,018 shares during the period. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC boosted its stake in shares of Accenture by 72.4% during the 2nd quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 19,455 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $2,421,000 after acquiring an additional 8,169 shares in the last quarter. Dearborn Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Accenture in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,108,000. Bright Rock Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Accenture in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $7,466,000. Finally, Foster & Motley Inc. purchased a new position in Accenture in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,628,000. 75.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Accenture

In related news, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 10,498 shares of the 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 sale, the general counsel owned 17,735 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,890,450.30. This trade represents a 37.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, COO Catherine Hogan sold 1,320 shares of Accenture stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $264,000.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 12,556 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,511,200. This represents a 9.51% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 12,518 shares of company stock valued at $2,124,932 in the last three months. 0.02% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on ACN shares. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Accenture from $135.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 24th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $220.00 target price on Accenture in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Mizuho upped their target price on Accenture from $226.00 to $241.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Evercore set a $250.00 price target on Accenture and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 1st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets set a $235.00 price target on Accenture in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $219.26.

More Accenture News

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture outlined a three-year framework targeting at least mid-single-digit revenue growth, with potential acceleration through fiscal 2029. RBC said artificial intelligence is becoming a net demand driver, supporting expectations for stronger consulting and technology-services bookings. Accenture Sees AI as Net Demand Driver
• Positive Sentiment: Expanded alliances with Dell Technologies, Workday and Anthropic, along with the acquisition of Sagacity Solutions, reinforce Accenture’s strategy of helping enterprises deploy agentic AI, private AI infrastructure and AI-powered customer analytics. These initiatives could increase demand for consulting, implementation and managed services. Accenture AI Deals and Dividend Hike
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture raised its quarterly dividend to $1.71 per share from $1.63, equivalent to an annualized $6.84 payout and an approximately 3.2% yield. The company also has an authorized $2 billion share-repurchase program, improving shareholder returns and signaling confidence in the valuation.
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s latest quarterly results exceeded estimates, with earnings of $3.29 per share and revenue of $18.68 billion, up 6.2% year over year. Strong cash flow, bookings and a relatively modest valuation remain additional supports for the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: Susquehanna raised its price target to $230 from $210 but kept a neutral rating. TD Cowen also lifted its target, to $201 from $193, while retaining a hold rating. The mixed recommendations suggest analysts see improved prospects but limited near-term upside after the rally. Accenture Trending Stock Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned that cautious client spending, pricing pressure, acquisition dependence and execution risk could limit growth. Some commentary also argues that the recent rally has outpaced Accenture’s underlying fundamentals.
• Negative Sentiment: COO Catherine Hogan sold 700 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The transaction was relatively small and planned in advance, but it may modestly weigh on sentiment. Accenture Insider Transaction

Accenture Stock Up 4.6%

ACN stock opened at $224.84 on Friday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $188.31 and its 200-day simple moving average is $174.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $150.15 billion, a PE ratio of 16.58, a P/E/G ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.11. Accenture PLC has a 12 month low of $118.15 and a 12 month high of $291.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.34.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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. Accenture had a return on equity of 26.53% and a net margin of 11.28%. The firm had revenue of $18.68 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.03 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.03 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Accenture has set its FY 2027 guidance at 14.390-14.810 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Accenture PLC will post 14.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Accenture announced that its board has initiated a stock buyback program on Tuesday, June 23rd that permits the company to buy back $2.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the information technology services provider to repurchase up to 2.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Share buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Accenture Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be given a dividend of $1.71 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 13th. This is a positive change from Accenture’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. This represents a $6.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. Accenture’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 50.44%.

About Accenture

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.