Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN - Get Free Report) CAO Melissa Burgum sold 811 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $202,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 9,820 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,455,000. The trade was a 7.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.
Accenture Price Performance
Shares of ACN opened at $259.11 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average is $194.57 and its two-hundred day moving average is $175.64. The company has a market capitalization of $173.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.11, a P/E/G ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.11. Accenture PLC has a fifty-two week low of $118.15 and a fifty-two 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.
Accenture (NYSE:ACN - Get Free Report) 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, beating the consensus estimate of $3.18 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $18.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $18.03 billion. Accenture had a return on equity of 26.53% and a net margin of 11.28%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.03 EPS. Accenture has set its FY 2027 guidance at 14.390-14.810 EPS. Research analysts predict that Accenture PLC will post 14.68 earnings per share for the current year.
Accenture Increases Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be given a dividend of $1.71 per share. This is an increase from Accenture's previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. This represents a $6.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 13th. Accenture's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 50.44%.
More Accenture News
Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Accenture Federal Services is partnering with Google Public Sector to develop Gemini launchpads for U.S. federal agencies. The tools are intended to help government customers integrate generative AI into mission workflows and internal operations, potentially strengthening Accenture’s federal pipeline and AI credentials. What Is Accenture Signaling With Its Federal AI Push and China Review?
- Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results exceeded expectations, with earnings of $3.29 per share versus a $3.18 consensus estimate and revenue of $18.68 billion versus $18.03 billion expected. Revenue rose 6.2% year over year, while strong bookings helped drive investor optimism. These 3 Stocks Surged Following Strong Quarterly Results
- Neutral Sentiment: Accenture is reviewing strategic options for its Greater China operations, including a possible divestiture. A sale could simplify the portfolio and reduce geopolitical exposure, but the review also highlights uncertainty around the region.
- Neutral Sentiment: Robert W. Baird reaffirmed its Neutral rating while raising its price target to $252 from $245. The higher target acknowledges recent momentum, but remains below the referenced trading level. Baird Downgrades Accenture to Neutral
- Negative Sentiment: Baird downgraded Accenture from Outperform to Neutral, arguing that shares had nearly doubled from their June low and that the valuation now reflects slower growth prospects. This may limit further upside unless growth accelerates. Accenture Stock Gets Downgraded as the Good News May Already Be Priced In
- Negative Sentiment: CEO Ryoji Sekido sold 5,844 shares worth approximately $1.43 million, reducing his reported ownership by 83%. Insider sales are not necessarily a signal of deteriorating fundamentals, but the transaction can weigh modestly on sentiment.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several equities research analysts have commented on ACN shares. Citigroup upped their price objective on Accenture from $135.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, August 24th. Evercore set a $250.00 target price on shares of Accenture and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, October 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on shares of Accenture from $136.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, September 18th. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Accenture from $150.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, UBS Group set a $278.00 price target on shares of Accenture in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $219.52.
Check Out Our Latest Report on ACN
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Accenture
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ACN. Patrick M Sweeney & Associates Inc. boosted its position in Accenture by 2.0% during the third quarter. Patrick M Sweeney & Associates Inc. now owns 2,249 shares of the information technology services provider's stock worth $412,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Alpine Bank Wealth Management grew its holdings in Accenture by 18.3% in the third quarter. Alpine Bank Wealth Management now owns 323 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Accenture by 2.9% in the third quarter. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,819 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $334,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. Hibernia Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Accenture by 4.5% in the first quarter. Hibernia Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,354 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $269,000 after buying an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kennebec Savings Bank increased its position in shares of Accenture by 38.0% in the first quarter. Kennebec Savings Bank now owns 218 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.14% of the company's stock.
About Accenture
(
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Accenture plc is a global professional services company that helps organizations transform their businesses through consulting, technology and managed services. Its work spans strategy and consulting, technology implementation, operations, and interactive customer experiences.
The company provides services in areas including cloud computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data and analytics, digital engineering, enterprise software, systems integration and business process outsourcing.
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