Accenture (NYSE:ACN) Price Target Raised to $260.00

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) had its price target increased by Argus from $220.00 to $260.00 in a research report report published on Friday, MarketBeat reports. Argus currently has a buy rating on the information technology services provider’s stock.

Several other brokerages have also recently commented on ACN. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Accenture from $175.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of Accenture from $230.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on shares of Accenture from $136.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, September 18th. Dbs Bank lowered shares of Accenture from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, Citigroup increased their price target on Accenture from $135.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 24th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Accenture currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $218.59.

Accenture Stock Up 0.1%

Accenture stock opened at $199.17 on Friday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $180.91 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $173.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a current ratio of 1.43. The company has a market cap of $133.01 billion, a PE ratio of 14.69, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.11. Accenture has a fifty-two week low of $118.15 and a fifty-two week high of $291.09.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last announced 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 analysts’ expectations of $18.03 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.03 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter 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 anticipate that Accenture will post 14.68 EPS for the current year.

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

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 paid a $1.71 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 13th. This represents a $6.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. This is an increase from Accenture’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. Accenture’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 48.08%.

Insider Transactions at Accenture

In related news, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 10,498 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 30th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at approximately $2,890,450.30. This trade represents a 37.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 0.02% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Accenture

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. IMG Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in Accenture by 134.8% in the 1st quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 155 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the period. Modus Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Accenture during the fourth quarter worth about $45,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new stake in shares of Accenture in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $54,000. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Accenture in the 4th quarter worth $56,000. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Accenture by 57.9% in the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 210 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares during the period. 75.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Accenture

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%.

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.