Advisory Research Inc. Boosts Holdings in Accenture PLC $ACN

Advisory Research Inc. raised its position in Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) by 43.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 11,025 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock after buying an additional 3,356 shares during the period. Advisory Research Inc.’s holdings in Accenture were worth $2,719,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Johnson Financial Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Accenture by 7.3% in the third quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. now owns 22,530 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $5,556,000 after purchasing an additional 1,538 shares in the last quarter. Quadrature Capital Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Accenture in the third quarter valued at $122,623,000. Quantitative Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Accenture in the 3rd quarter valued at $7,073,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its stake in Accenture by 134.7% during the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 383,667 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $94,612,000 after acquiring an additional 220,205 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in Accenture by 4.4% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,798,027 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $689,993,000 after acquiring an additional 119,133 shares during the period. 75.14% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Accenture News

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Udacity (part of Accenture) launched an accredited MBA focused on AI product leadership — strengthens Accenture’s talent pipeline and positioning as a provider of AI skills and services, which supports long‑term demand for consulting and implementation work. Udacity, Part of Accenture, Launches Accredited MBA to Train the Next Generation of AI Product Leaders
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and investors highlight Accenture’s exposure to AI implementation contracts as a key growth driver — supports revenue upside if enterprise AI spending accelerates. Accenture (ACN) is Poised to Benefit from AI Implementation Contracts
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture expanded a Google Cloud security partnership to help customers strengthen cloud security — reinforces pipeline for cloud/security services and cross‑sell into large enterprise accounts. Accenture Helps Organizations Strengthen Cloud Security with Google Cloud
• Neutral Sentiment: Seeking Alpha published a bullish valuation take that argues Accenture may now be undervalued after years of premium multiples — supportive long‑term view but not an immediate catalyst. Accenture: Undervalued After Years Of Overvaluation
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and investor‑attention pieces (Zacks, Yahoo summaries) are highlighting Accenture ahead of earnings — increases visibility but not a directional catalyst by itself. Accenture PLC (ACN) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Guggenheim trimmed its price target (still a Buy) — a modest signal that some analysts are moderating upside expectations while remaining positive on the name. Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: Truist cut its price target from $317 to $260 and warned of pressure on long‑term estimates tied to enterprise AI adoption checks — contributes to downward pressure on the stock and investor caution. Truist Lowers Accenture (ACN) Target to $260, Warns of Pressure on Long-Term Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Deutsche Bank lowered its target to $230 and maintained a Hold — another sign of tempered analyst expectations ahead of results. Deutsche Bank Lowers Accenture (ACN) Target as it Maintains Hold View
• Negative Sentiment: A Zacks preview flagged that Accenture may lack the ideal setup for an earnings beat in the upcoming report — could increase downside volatility if results or guidance disappoint. Accenture (ACN) Earnings Expected to Grow: Should You Buy?

Accenture Trading Down 2.8%

Accenture stock opened at $195.93 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $120.61 billion, a PE ratio of 16.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 1.27. 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 PLC has a 52 week low of $188.73 and a 52 week high of $326.73. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $243.23 and a 200 day moving average price of $249.20.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last issued its quarterly 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.51 billion. Accenture had a return on equity of 26.65% and a net margin of 10.76%.Accenture’s revenue was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.59 EPS. Accenture has set its FY 2026 guidance at 13.520-13.900 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Accenture PLC will post 12.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Accenture Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 13th were issued a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, January 13th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.3%. Accenture’s payout ratio is 53.88%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 1,026 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $281.70, for a total value of $289,024.20. Following the transaction, the general counsel directly owned 27,181 shares in the company, valued at $7,656,887.70. This trade represents a 3.64% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO John F. Walsh sold 3,986 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 27,221 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,523,339.98. This represents a 12.77% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 22,088 shares of company stock worth $5,970,434 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.02% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently commented on ACN. Wolfe Research raised their price objective on shares of Accenture from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Accenture from $251.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Accenture in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Citigroup cut their price target on Accenture from $266.00 to $215.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, UBS Group downgraded Accenture from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Accenture currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $288.35.

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.