Aptus Capital Advisors LLC Trims Holdings in Accenture PLC $ACN

Aptus Capital Advisors LLC lowered its stake in shares of Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) by 67.1% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 16,234 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock after selling 33,056 shares during the period. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Accenture were worth $4,003,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Investors Research Corp grew its holdings in shares of Accenture by 73.8% in the third quarter. Investors Research Corp now owns 106 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Accenture by 132.6% during the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 107 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period. Davis Capital Management acquired a new position in Accenture in the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake 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 valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 73 shares during the period. Finally, Heartwood Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Accenture during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. 75.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently commented on ACN. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their price objective on Accenture from $205.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Wolfe Research raised their target price on Accenture from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. HSBC lifted their target price on Accenture from $215.00 to $235.00 in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Truist Financial began coverage on Accenture in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. They set a “buy” rating and a $317.00 price target for the company. Finally, Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $300.00 price objective on shares of Accenture in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Accenture currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $291.69.

Accenture Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of NYSE ACN opened at $217.12 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The business’s 50 day moving average is $248.64 and its two-hundred day moving average is $250.66. Accenture PLC has a 52-week low of $188.73 and a 52-week high of $342.89. The firm has a market cap of $133.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.94, a PEG ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 1.27.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 18th. The information technology services provider reported $3.94 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 business had revenue of $18.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.51 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.59 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. Accenture has set its FY 2026 guidance at 13.520-13.900 EPS. Research analysts predict that Accenture PLC will post 12.73 EPS for the current year.

Accenture Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity at Accenture

In other news, CEO John F. Walsh sold 3,986 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $276.38, for a total transaction of $1,101,650.68. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 27,221 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,523,339.98. This represents a 12.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Melissa A. Burgum sold 3,588 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $281.01, for a total transaction of $1,008,263.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 8,179 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,298,380.79. The trade was a 30.49% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders sold 22,088 shares of company stock valued at $5,970,434. 0.02% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Trending Headlines about Accenture

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture agreed to acquire Ookla (maker of Speedtest, Downdetector, RootMetrics) to bolster network intelligence and connectivity analytics — expands data assets for telco and enterprise network services. Accenture (ACN) To Accquire OoKla, the Company Behind Popular Speedtest Tool
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture bought advanced AI technology from Avanseus to improve predictive models, anomaly detection and automation for network operations — a capability play that supports higher-margin managed services. Accenture (ACN) Acquires Advanced AI Technology Solution From Avanseus
• Positive Sentiment: New collaboration with Mistral AI aims to accelerate enterprise-grade AI deployments — reinforces Accenture’s positioning as a systems integrator for generative/enterprise AI. Accenture Bets On Ookla And Mistral AI To Reinforce Client Demand
• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer publicly said Accenture “shouldn’t be that low,” providing a sentiment boost and drawing retail attention to recent strategic buys. Jim Cramer on Accenture: “It shouldn’t be that low”
• Positive Sentiment: UBS called the Ookla deal a timely bet on AI-driven network intelligence, signaling positive institutional take on strategic fit. UBS sees Accenture’s Ookla deal as timely bet on AI-driven network intelligence
• Neutral Sentiment: Several outlets include ACN among top IT services or growth picks for 2026 (Zacks, Yahoo lists) — positive framing but less immediate impact than deal/earnings news. Buy 5 Computers IT Services Stocks to Boost Your Portfolio in 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Deutsche Bank cut its price target to $230 from $280 and kept a “hold” rating, signaling lower near-term upside from that broker — pressure on sentiment despite strategic moves. Deutsche Bank Cuts Price Target On Accenture To $230 From $280, Keeps “Hold” Rating
• Negative Sentiment: Jensen Quality Growth Equity disclosed it sold Accenture in Q4 — a notable institutional reduction that may signal rotation away from ACN among some active managers. Jensen Quality Growth Equity Decided to Sell Accenture (ACN)
• Negative Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha note argues Accenture’s AI narrative hasn’t yet translated into stronger growth expectations (FY26 guide implies modest revenue growth), keeping investor caution. Accenture: AI Story Isn’t Enough To Excite Investors Just Yet

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.