Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) have received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-seven brokerages that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and sixteen have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $298.3846.

A number of brokerages recently commented on ACN. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $300.00 price target on shares of Accenture in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Berenberg Bank assumed coverage on shares of Accenture in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $313.00 price objective for the company. Susquehanna increased their target price on shares of Accenture from $270.00 to $277.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Accenture from $251.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Dbs Bank raised Accenture from a “hold” rating to a “moderate buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th.

Insider Transactions at Accenture

In other news, CAO Melissa A. Burgum sold 3,588 shares of Accenture stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $281.01, for a total value of $1,008,263.88. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 8,179 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,298,380.79. The trade was a 30.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Manish Sharma sold 2,731 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $288.13, for a total transaction of $786,883.03. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 7,057 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,033,333.41. The trade was a 27.90% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 22,088 shares of company stock worth $5,970,434. Company insiders own 0.02% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Accenture

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in ACN. Investors Research Corp raised its holdings in Accenture by 73.8% in the third 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. increased its position in shares of Accenture by 132.6% during the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 107 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in Accenture in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Board of the Pension Protection Fund purchased a new position in Accenture in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Accenture in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. 75.14% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Accenture Stock Down 3.6%

Shares of ACN stock opened at $222.10 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $136.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 1.41 and a quick ratio of 1.41. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $267.59 and a 200 day moving average price of $255.31. Accenture has a one year low of $215.16 and a one year high of $392.02.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 18th. The information technology services provider reported $3.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.73 by $0.21. Accenture had a return on equity of 26.65% and a net margin of 10.76%.The firm had revenue of $18.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.51 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.59 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Accenture has set its FY 2026 guidance at 13.520-13.900 EPS. Analysts predict that Accenture will post 12.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Accenture Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, January 13th will be paid a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, January 13th. Accenture’s payout ratio is presently 53.88%.

About Accenture

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.