Barclays PLC Lowers Position in Accenture PLC $ACN

Barclays PLC trimmed its position in shares of Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) by 4.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,667,735 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock after selling 76,262 shares during the quarter. Barclays PLC owned approximately 0.25% of Accenture worth $411,263,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Investors Research Corp boosted its stake in shares of Accenture by 73.8% during the 3rd quarter. Investors Research Corp now owns 106 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Davis Capital Management purchased a new position in Accenture during the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in Accenture by 146.0% in the third quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 123 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares during the period. Finally, Heartwood Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Accenture in the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. 75.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Accenture Trading Up 2.5%

Shares of ACN opened at $215.24 on Friday. Accenture PLC has a 12-month low of $188.73 and a 12-month high of $347.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $132.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.79, a P/E/G ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 1.27. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $249.72 and a 200 day moving average price of $250.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16.

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

Accenture Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 13th were paid a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, January 13th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. Accenture’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 53.88%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Accenture in a research report on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $330.00 price objective on shares of Accenture in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Piper Sandler set a $282.00 target price on shares of Accenture in a research note on Thursday. Truist Financial initiated coverage on shares of Accenture in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $317.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on Accenture from $265.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $293.62.

Accenture News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture agreed to buy Ookla (Speedtest) and other connectivity assets from Ziff Davis for about $1.2B, strengthening its network‑intelligence capabilities that feed enterprise AI and connectivity services. Accenture Bets On Ookla And Mistral AI To Reinforce Client Demand
• Positive Sentiment: UBS and other analysts framed the Ookla deal as a timely, strategic bet on AI-driven network intelligence — a positive signal for Accenture’s ability to sell higher‑value connectivity and analytics solutions. UBS sees Accenture’s Ookla deal as timely bet on AI-driven network intelligence
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture acquired an advanced AI technology solution from Avanseus (cloud‑native AI models for prediction/anomaly detection), expanding its IP and productized AI offerings that can be monetized across clients. Accenture (ACN) Acquires Advanced AI Technology Solution From Avanseus
• Positive Sentiment: Media/analyst roundups (Zacks, Yahoo) are including ACN in 2026 “must‑own” IT services lists — citing cloud, AI and cybersecurity spending tailwinds — which supports investor sentiment and demand for the stock. Buy 5 Computers IT Services Stocks to Boost Your Portfolio in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative valuation pieces (ACN vs. Jack Henry) and Zacks style‑score writeups highlight Accenture’s mix of value and growth traits — useful context for investors but not an immediate catalyst. ACN or JKHY: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Seeking Alpha publishes a cautious ‘Hold’ view: FY26 guidance implies only ~2–5% revenue growth, consulting revenue pressure, and a risk that AI-driven automation could reduce billable hours in some segments — a potential headwind to near‑term revenue and sentiment. Accenture: AI Story Isn’t Enough To Excite Investors Just Yet

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO John F. Walsh sold 3,986 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $276.38, for a total value of $1,101,650.68. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 27,221 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,523,339.98. The trade was a 12.77% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Julie Spellman Sweet sold 6,057 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $241.23, for a total transaction of $1,461,130.11. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 15,255 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,679,963.65. This trade represents a 28.42% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 22,088 shares of company stock valued at $5,970,434. 0.02% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.