Accenture PLC $ACN Stock Bought by Sound Income Strategies LLC

Sound Income Strategies LLC lifted its stake in shares of Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) by 3.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 113,209 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock after buying an additional 3,357 shares during the quarter. Accenture makes up about 0.5% of Sound Income Strategies LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest holding. Sound Income Strategies LLC’s holdings in Accenture were worth $20,759,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hibernia Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. City National Bank of Florida MSD lifted its holdings in Accenture by 5.8% during the 4th quarter. City National Bank of Florida MSD now owns 1,073 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $288,000 after buying an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. Kennebec Savings Bank grew its position in shares of Accenture by 38.0% in the 1st quarter. Kennebec Savings Bank now owns 218 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. GS Investments Inc. increased its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Camelot Portfolios LLC raised its position in shares of Accenture by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. Camelot Portfolios LLC now owns 4,526 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $563,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. 75.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Accenture News Roundup

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.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ACN has been the subject of a number of research reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Accenture from $175.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Citigroup upped their target price on Accenture from $135.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 24th. DA Davidson cut their price target on Accenture from $275.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on Accenture from $175.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, Berenberg Bank dropped their target price on Accenture from $273.00 to $220.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $219.15.

Insider Transactions at Accenture

In related news, COO Catherine Hogan sold 1,320 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $264,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 12,556 shares in the company, valued at $2,511,200. This represents a 9.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 10,498 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the general counsel owned 17,735 shares in the company, valued at $2,890,450.30. This represents a 37.18% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 0.02% of the company’s stock.

Accenture Stock Performance

ACN stock traded up $0.03 on Friday, reaching $208.39. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 4,876,220 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,004,745. 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 current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.34. The company has a market capitalization of $139.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.11. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $184.52 and a two-hundred day moving average of $173.68.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 1st. The information technology services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 analyst estimates of $18.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.03 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. Accenture has set its FY 2027 guidance at 14.390-14.810 EPS. As a group, analysts predict 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. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be issued a $1.71 dividend. 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.3%. Accenture’s dividend payout ratio is currently 50.44%.

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

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.