8,923 Accenture PLC $ACN Shares Acquired by HF Advisory Group LLC

HF Advisory Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) by 197.8% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 13,434 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock after buying an additional 8,923 shares during the period. HF Advisory Group LLC’s holdings in Accenture were worth $2,463,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. IMG Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Accenture by 134.8% during 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. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new stake in Accenture in the 4th quarter valued at about $54,000. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new position in Accenture during the 4th quarter valued at about $56,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC increased its stake 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. Finally, Dogwood Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Accenture by 147.1% during the second quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 215 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 128 shares during the last quarter. 75.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Accenture

In other Accenture news, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 10,498 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.98, for a total value 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, COO Catherine Hogan sold 1,320 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total transaction of $264,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, 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. 0.02% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Accenture Stock Performance

ACN stock opened at $208.39 on Friday. Accenture PLC has a 52 week low of $118.15 and a 52 week high of $291.09. 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 stock has a market cap of $139.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.37, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 1.11. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $184.52 and a 200 day simple moving average of $173.68.

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 business had revenue of $18.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.03 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.03 earnings per share. Accenture’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. Research analysts anticipate that Accenture PLC will post 14.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Accenture announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback program on Tuesday, June 23rd that allows the company to buy back $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the information technology services provider to repurchase up to 2.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Share buyback programs are often an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

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 issued a dividend of $1.71 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 13th. This represents a $6.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.3%. This is an increase from Accenture’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. Accenture’s payout ratio is currently 48.08%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on ACN. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Accenture in a research report on Tuesday. Susquehanna raised 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. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on shares of Accenture from $136.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, September 18th. Wolfe Research increased their price target on Accenture from $165.00 to $215.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Accenture from $150.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating 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 assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Accenture has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $219.15.

More Accenture News

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture’s fiscal fourth-quarter results exceeded expectations, with adjusted EPS of $3.29 versus the $3.18 consensus and revenue of $18.68 billion versus estimates of $18.03 billion. Revenue increased 6.2% year over year, helping drive the recent rally. Accenture Could Be 30% Undervalued
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentators increasingly view Accenture as an undervalued artificial-intelligence and enterprise-services beneficiary. The company’s AI-related work and enterprise momentum could convert elevated AI spending into longer-term revenue growth. Is Accenture the Market’s Most Overlooked AI Play?
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture increased its dividend by 4.91%, signaling continued confidence in cash generation. One dividend-focused analysis rated ACN highly and estimated substantial upside to fair value, although the increase was below the company’s five-year dividend-growth rate. Dividend Announcements
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Accenture as a strong momentum stock, reflecting improving price performance and investor interest following the earnings beat. Why Accenture Is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Investors continue to monitor whether AI-driven efficiency and pricing pressure could reduce fees for consulting work. Management acknowledged lower pricing in several areas during the quarter, creating a potential risk to margins and future growth. What Would It Take for AI Price Cuts to Break Accenture Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: COO Catherine Hogan sold 1,320 shares for approximately $264,000 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The transaction reduced her holdings by 9.51%, but its scheduled nature limits its significance as a bearish signal.

Accenture 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.