Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. Boosts Stock Holdings in Accenture PLC $ACN

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) by 1,408.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 84,430 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 78,832 shares during the period. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Accenture were worth $20,820,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in ACN. Investors Research Corp boosted its stake in shares of Accenture by 73.8% in the 3rd quarter. Investors Research Corp now owns 106 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Accenture by 132.6% in the 3rd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 107 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period. Davis Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Accenture during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. RMG Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Accenture during the 2nd quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Elevation Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Accenture by 146.0% in the 3rd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 123 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. 75.14% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Accenture News

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Truist started coverage with a Buy and $317 price target, giving fresh analyst support and a clear near‑term upside thesis for the stock. Truist initiates coverage of Accenture with buy
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture agreed to acquire Faculty, an AI-native UK services/products firm—accelerates GenAI capabilities and commercial reach, a tangible strategic move that supports higher growth expectations. Accenture to Acquire Faculty to Scale AI Capabilities
• Positive Sentiment: Partnership with NTT DOCOMO GLOBAL to build a Universal Wallet Infrastructure highlights pipeline in large digital‑identity and data projects—potentially sticky, enterprise‑scale revenue. NTT DOCOMO GLOBAL and Accenture Launch Universal Wallet Infrastructure
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights ACN as a momentum name based on style scores, reinforcing the view that Accenture’s execution on AI/digital could sustain outperformance. Why Accenture is a Top Momentum Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn nudged its target but kept a Neutral rating—limited immediate upside impact from this particular note. Rothschild adjusts PT on Accenture
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysis of valuation after the new AI acquisition and digital‑trust partnership highlights upside potential but also raises questions about how quickly deals convert to revenue. Assessing Accenture valuation after AI acquisition
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CEO Mauro Macchi reported a sale of 500 shares; while small in dollar terms relative to his holdings, insider trims can weigh on sentiment. SEC Filing – Mauro Macchi sale
• Negative Sentiment: General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 1,332 shares—another insider trim that investors note even if not large relative to total holdings. SEC Filing – Joel Unruch sale
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage raising concerns about softer public‑sector demand highlights a potential near‑term revenue headwind for consulting work. Is Softer Public-Sector Demand Undermining Accenture?

Insider Activity

In other Accenture news, insider Manish Sharma sold 6,902 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.01, for a total value of $1,725,569.02. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 1,860 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $465,018.60. The trade was a 78.77% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Ryoji Sekido sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $249.47, for a total transaction of $623,675.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,390 shares in the company, valued at $346,763.30. The trade was a 64.27% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 35,151 shares of company stock worth $8,841,525. Company insiders own 0.02% of the company’s stock.

Accenture Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ACN opened at $281.52 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $259.69 and a 200 day moving average of $259.97. The company has a current ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The stock has a market cap of $173.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.27, a P/E/G ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 1.25. Accenture PLC has a 12 month low of $229.40 and a 12 month high of $398.35.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 18th. The information technology services provider reported $3.94 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.73 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $18.74 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.51 billion. Accenture had a net margin of 10.76% and a return on equity of 26.65%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.59 EPS. Accenture has set its FY 2026 guidance at 13.520-13.900 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Accenture PLC will post 12.73 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Accenture Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 13th will be issued a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 13th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Accenture’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 53.88%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ACN has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on shares of Accenture from $235.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Accenture in a research note on Wednesday. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on Accenture from $355.00 to $315.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, September 16th. Truist Financial initiated coverage on shares of Accenture in a report on Tuesday. They set a “buy” rating and a $317.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Accenture from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $295.84.

Accenture Profile

Accenture is a global professional services company that provides a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. The firm works with organizations across industries to design and implement business transformation programs, deploy and manage enterprise technology, optimize operations, and develop customer and digital experiences. Its offerings encompass management and technology consulting, systems integration, application and infrastructure services, cloud migration and managed services, as well as security and analytics capabilities.

The company delivers industry- and function-specific solutions, combining consulting expertise with proprietary tools, platforms and partnerships with major technology vendors.