Accenture (NYSE:ACN) Stock Price Target Raised at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Key Points

• JPMorgan raised Accenture’s price target from $179 to $200 and maintained an “overweight” rating, implying approximately 12.1% upside from the reported $178.37 share price.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: the consensus rating is “Hold”, with 10 Buy, 16 Hold and one Sell recommendation, while the average target price is about $200.04.
• Accenture authorized a $2 billion share buyback, allowing it to repurchase up to 2.4% of outstanding shares; meanwhile, an insider sold shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN - Get Free Report) had its price target raised by equities researchers at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $179.00 to $200.00 in a note issued to investors on Friday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an "overweight" rating on the information technology services provider's stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s price objective points to a potential upside of 12.13% from the stock's current price.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Susquehanna lowered their price objective on shares of Accenture from $186.00 to $140.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $195.00 price target on shares of Accenture in a research note on Tuesday, September 15th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on shares of Accenture from $315.00 to $270.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Accenture from $130.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Dbs Bank downgraded Accenture from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $200.04.

Accenture Stock Performance

Shares of ACN stock traded up $0.96 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $178.37. The company had a trading volume of 365,718 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,833,557. The stock has a market cap of $119.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.21, a PEG ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 1.34 and a quick ratio of 1.34. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $175.57 and its 200 day simple moving average is $174.03. Accenture has a 52-week low of $118.15 and a 52-week high of $291.09.

Accenture declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Tuesday, June 23rd that authorizes the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the information technology services provider to repurchase up to 2.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at Accenture

In related news, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 10,498 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.98, for a total value of $1,710,964.04. Following the sale, the general counsel owned 17,735 shares in the company, valued at $2,890,450.30. This represents a 37.18% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.02% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Accenture

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Accenture in the fourth quarter worth $2,146,995,000. Flossbach Von Storch SE bought a new position in Accenture during the 2nd quarter worth $309,873,000. First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in Accenture by 120.0% in the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,482,150 shares of the information technology services provider's stock worth $690,475,000 after buying an additional 1,899,305 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in Accenture by 15.9% in the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 8,173,338 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $2,192,907,000 after buying an additional 1,122,855 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pzena Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Accenture by 84.0% during the first quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 2,405,683 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $477,023,000 after acquiring an additional 1,097,961 shares during the period. 75.14% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Accenture News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AI safety partnership adds strategic relevance: Anthropic appointed Accenture as an on-site evaluator to help assess and slow the development of frontier AI systems. The role could strengthen Accenture’s credibility in AI governance and create additional consulting opportunities as companies seek safer AI adoption. Anthropic appoints Accenture as on-site evaluator
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion across AI, cloud and infrastructure: Accenture launched Construct, a global unit focused on large capital projects including airports, power grids, rail networks and advanced manufacturing. The company is also expanding collaborations with AWS and Google Cloud, supporting the longer-term growth narrative around AI, cloud modernization and automation. Accenture launches Construct
• Positive Sentiment: Potentially favorable earnings setup: Recent analysis argues that Accenture has factors that could support an earnings beat in its upcoming quarterly report, giving investors a near-term catalyst to watch. Accenture earnings expected to grow
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst target raised but rating remains Hold: Jefferies increased its price target to $190, implying moderate upside from recent levels, but retained a Hold rating. BMO Capital likewise maintained its Hold recommendation, signaling limited conviction despite the company’s strategic initiatives. Jefferies raises Accenture price target
• Negative Sentiment: Market pressure and valuation concerns weigh on sentiment: Accenture’s shares fell more than the broader market in the latest session. Commentary also highlighted substantial year-to-date weakness and questioned whether the recent rebound fully reflects the company’s AI opportunity, making investors more sensitive to earnings execution and forward guidance. Accenture declines more than market

About Accenture

Accenture plc is a global professional services company that helps organizations improve business performance through consulting, technology, and managed services. Its offerings include strategy and consulting, technology implementation, operations support, and business process services.

The company provides digital transformation services involving cloud computing, artificial intelligence, data and analytics, cybersecurity, systems integration, and enterprise software. Through its Song and Industry X businesses, Accenture also supports customer experience, marketing, product engineering, and smart manufacturing initiatives.

Accenture serves clients across a broad range of industries, including financial services, health care, public service, communications, media and technology, consumer goods, retail, resources, and industrial markets.

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