2,901 Accenture PLC $ACN Shares Sold by North Point Portfolio Managers Corp OH

North Point Portfolio Managers Corp OH decreased its position in Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) by 5.2% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 52,511 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock after selling 2,901 shares during the quarter. Accenture accounts for 1.8% of North Point Portfolio Managers Corp OH’s portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest holding. North Point Portfolio Managers Corp OH’s holdings in Accenture were worth $9,629,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. State Street Corp increased its position in Accenture by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 28,264,675 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $7,583,462,000 after purchasing an additional 129,610 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in shares of Accenture by 2.2% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 6,531,231 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $1,295,078,000 after buying an additional 143,483 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its holdings in shares of Accenture by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 5,393,818 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $1,447,161,000 after buying an additional 63,760 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP raised its position in shares of Accenture by 120.0% during the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,482,150 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $690,475,000 after buying an additional 1,899,305 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG lifted its holdings in shares of Accenture by 13.6% in the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 3,093,932 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $830,102,000 after acquiring an additional 369,433 shares during the last quarter. 75.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Accenture Trading Up 1.9%

Shares of NYSE ACN traded up $3.68 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $197.08. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,929,157 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,971,438. Accenture PLC has a 12-month low of $118.15 and a 12-month high of $291.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The firm has a market cap of $131.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.11. The business’s 50 day moving average is $182.31 and its two-hundred day moving average is $173.42.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 1st. The information technology services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (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 analysts’ expectations of $18.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.03 EPS. Accenture’s 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. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Accenture PLC will post 14.66 EPS for the current year.

Accenture announced that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, June 23rd that authorizes the company to buyback $2.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the information technology services provider to buy up to 2.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Accenture Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be issued a $1.71 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 13th. This is a boost from Accenture’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. This represents a $6.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.5%. Accenture’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 48.08%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 10,498 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.98, for a total value of $1,710,964.04. Following the transaction, 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.02% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have weighed in on ACN. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their price objective on Accenture from $180.00 to $130.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Dbs Bank downgraded Accenture from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Susquehanna increased their price target on Accenture from $153.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, October 1st. Robert W. Baird set a $245.00 price target on Accenture in a research report on Thursday, October 1st. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Accenture in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Eleven equities research 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’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $219.15.

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.