Accenture (NYSE:ACN) COO Sells $149,968.00 in Stock

Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) COO Catherine Hogan sold 700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $214.24, for a total value of $149,968.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 11,856 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,540,029.44. This represents a 5.58% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Catherine Kiernan Hogan also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Thursday, October 8th, Catherine Hogan sold 1,320 shares of Accenture stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $264,000.00.

Accenture Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ACN opened at $224.84 on Friday. 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 PLC has a fifty-two week low of $118.15 and a fifty-two week high of $291.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $150.15 billion, a PE ratio of 16.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.11. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $188.31 and its 200-day simple moving average is $174.15.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 1st. The information technology services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.18 by $0.11. The firm 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 firm’s revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.03 earnings per share. Accenture has set its FY 2027 guidance at 14.390-14.810 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Accenture PLC will post 14.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Accenture Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Shareholders 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 is an increase from Accenture’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. This represents a $6.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. Accenture’s dividend payout ratio is 50.44%.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ACN has been the subject of several research analyst reports. BNP Paribas Exane lowered their target price on shares of Accenture from $180.00 to $130.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, June 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Accenture from $230.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 1st. Argus lifted their price target on shares of Accenture from $220.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of Accenture from $193.00 to $201.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, DA Davidson decreased their price objective on shares of Accenture from $275.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $219.26.

Accenture News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture outlined a three-year framework targeting at least mid-single-digit revenue growth, with potential acceleration through fiscal 2029. RBC said artificial intelligence is becoming a net demand driver, supporting expectations for stronger consulting and technology-services bookings. Accenture Sees AI as Net Demand Driver
• Positive Sentiment: Expanded alliances with Dell Technologies, Workday and Anthropic, along with the acquisition of Sagacity Solutions, reinforce Accenture’s strategy of helping enterprises deploy agentic AI, private AI infrastructure and AI-powered customer analytics. These initiatives could increase demand for consulting, implementation and managed services. Accenture AI Deals and Dividend Hike
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture raised its quarterly dividend to $1.71 per share from $1.63, equivalent to an annualized $6.84 payout and an approximately 3.2% yield. The company also has an authorized $2 billion share-repurchase program, improving shareholder returns and signaling confidence in the valuation.
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s latest quarterly results exceeded estimates, with earnings of $3.29 per share and revenue of $18.68 billion, up 6.2% year over year. Strong cash flow, bookings and a relatively modest valuation remain additional supports for the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: Susquehanna raised its price target to $230 from $210 but kept a neutral rating. TD Cowen also lifted its target, to $201 from $193, while retaining a hold rating. The mixed recommendations suggest analysts see improved prospects but limited near-term upside after the rally. Accenture Trending Stock Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned that cautious client spending, pricing pressure, acquisition dependence and execution risk could limit growth. Some commentary also argues that the recent rally has outpaced Accenture’s underlying fundamentals.
• Negative Sentiment: COO Catherine Hogan sold 700 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The transaction was relatively small and planned in advance, but it may modestly weigh on sentiment. Accenture Insider Transaction

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Accenture by 2.9% during the third quarter. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,819 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $334,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. Hibernia Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in Accenture by 4.5% in the 1st 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 during the last quarter. City National Bank of Florida MSD grew its position in Accenture by 5.8% in the 4th quarter. City National Bank of Florida MSD now owns 1,073 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $288,000 after buying an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. Kennebec Savings Bank increased its stake in Accenture by 38.0% in the 1st 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 during the period. Finally, GS Investments Inc. increased its stake in Accenture by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. GS Investments Inc. now owns 12,415 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $2,462,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.14% of the company’s stock.

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.