Accenture PLC $ACN Stock: Woodley Farra Manion Portfolio Management Inc. Decreases Stake

Woodley Farra Manion Portfolio Management Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) by 3.4% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 242,880 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock after selling 8,583 shares during the quarter. Accenture comprises approximately 2.2% of Woodley Farra Manion Portfolio Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest holding. Woodley Farra Manion Portfolio Management Inc.’s holdings in Accenture were worth $44,537,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of ACN. Euro Pacific Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Accenture by 11.2% during the third quarter. Euro Pacific Asset Management LLC now owns 117,589 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $21,562,000 after purchasing an additional 11,873 shares during the period. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in Accenture by 10.4% in the second quarter. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 74,187 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $9,232,000 after buying an additional 7,018 shares in the last quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel increased its position in Accenture by 63.5% in the third quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel now owns 26,565 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $4,871,000 after buying an additional 10,322 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC raised its stake in shares of Accenture by 72.4% in the second quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 19,455 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $2,421,000 after buying an additional 8,169 shares during the period. Finally, Dearborn Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Accenture during the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,108,000. Institutional investors own 75.14% of the company’s stock.

Accenture Stock Up 1.8%

NYSE ACN opened at $258.82 on Wednesday. Accenture PLC has a 12 month low of $118.15 and a 12 month high of $291.09. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $213.02 and its 200 day moving average is $191.64. The company has a current ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The stock has a market cap of $152.97 billion, a PE ratio of 19.09, a P/E/G ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 1.01.

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

Accenture Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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. This is an increase from Accenture’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 13th. This represents a $6.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. Accenture’s dividend payout ratio is currently 50.44%.

Accenture News Summary

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Accenture news, CEO Ryoji Sekido sold 5,844 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $244.84, for a total value of $1,430,844.96. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 1,194 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $292,338.96. This trade represents a 83.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Julie Sweet bought 12,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 26th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $245.99 per share, for a total transaction of $3,001,078.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 48,910 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,031,370.90. The trade was a 33.23% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 18,675 shares of company stock valued at $4,747,563 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.02% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on ACN shares. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on Accenture from $193.00 to $201.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. BMO Capital Markets set a $235.00 target price on shares of Accenture in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Accenture from $135.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, August 24th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Accenture from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered shares of Accenture from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $245.00 to $252.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price 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.