Accenture (NYSE:ACN) Stock Price Target Raised at TD Cowen

Key Points

• TD Cowen raised Accenture’s price target to $201 from $193 but maintained a “Hold” rating, implying 9.25% downside from the prior close. The broader analyst consensus is also “Hold,” with an average target of $220.19.
• Accenture exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $3.29 in EPS versus $3.18 expected and $18.68 billion in revenue, up 6.2% year over year.
• The company authorized a $2 billion share-repurchase program, while insiders sold $2.1 million of stock over the past 90 days; institutional investors own 75.14% of shares.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN - Get Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by equities researchers at TD Cowen from $193.00 to $201.00 in a research report issued on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "hold" rating on the information technology services provider's stock. TD Cowen's price objective indicates a potential downside of 9.25% from the company's previous close.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. DA Davidson lowered their target price on shares of Accenture from $275.00 to $175.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Argus boosted their price target on shares of Accenture from $220.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of Accenture from $230.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 1st. Berenberg Bank reduced their price target on Accenture from $273.00 to $220.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. Finally, Susquehanna upped their price objective on Accenture from $210.00 to $230.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $220.19.

Accenture Trading Up 3.0%

ACN stock opened at $221.50 on Thursday. Accenture has a 12-month low of $118.15 and a 12-month high of $291.09. The business's 50-day moving average is $187.24 and its 200 day moving average is $173.93. The company has a current ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The stock has a market cap of $147.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.33, a PEG ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.11.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 1st. The information technology services provider reported $3.29 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.18 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $18.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $18.03 billion. Accenture had a return on equity of 26.53% and a net margin of 11.28%. The business's revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.03 earnings per share. Accenture has set its FY 2027 guidance at 14.390-14.810 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Accenture will post 14.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Accenture declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, June 23rd that permits the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the information technology services provider to reacquire up to 2.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically an indication that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, COO Catherine Hogan sold 700 shares of Accenture stock in a transaction on Monday, October 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $214.24, for a total value of $149,968.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 11,856 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,540,029.44. The trade was a 5.58% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 10,498 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.98, for a total value of $1,710,964.04. Following the completion of 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 12,518 shares of company stock valued at $2,124,932 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.02% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Accenture

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Accenture by 10.4% in the second quarter. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 74,187 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $9,232,000 after buying an additional 7,018 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC raised its stake in shares of Accenture by 72.4% during the 2nd quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 19,455 shares of the information technology services provider's stock worth $2,421,000 after buying an additional 8,169 shares during the last quarter. Dearborn Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Accenture in the 2nd quarter worth about $25,108,000. Bright Rock Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Accenture in the 2nd quarter worth about $7,466,000. Finally, Foster & Motley Inc. acquired a new stake in Accenture in the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,628,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.14% of the company's stock.

Accenture News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management forecast mid- to high-single-digit revenue growth in local currency through fiscal 2029, along with longer-term margin and earnings objectives. The outlook helped address concerns about Accenture’s slowing growth and provided greater visibility into its AI-driven expansion strategy. Accenture Analyst/Investor Day Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture raised its quarterly dividend to $1.71 per share from $1.63, equivalent to an annualized $6.84 payout and an approximately 3.2% yield. The increase reinforces the company’s appeal to income-focused investors. Accenture Dividend Hike and AI Deals
• Positive Sentiment: The company expanded its AI relationships with Dell Technologies and Anthropic, launched a forward-deployed engineering program with Workday, and agreed to acquire Sagacity Solutions. The initiatives are intended to accelerate enterprise adoption of agentic AI, private or sovereign AI infrastructure and AI-powered customer intelligence. Accenture Deepens AI Push
• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results exceeded expectations: earnings per share reached $3.29 versus a $3.18 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 6.2% year over year to $18.68 billion. Strong bookings, free cash flow and a relatively discounted valuation also supported the bullish response.
• Neutral Sentiment: Accenture completed a long-running share-repurchase program and has emphasized capital returns, but investors will likely focus on whether buybacks, dividends and acquisitions translate into sustained earnings growth.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts continue to flag execution risks from acquisitions, pricing pressure and cautious client spending. The stock’s recent rally may already reflect substantial AI optimism, while its consensus rating remains “Hold” with an average price target near $219. Accenture Investor Day Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: COO Catherine Hogan sold 700 shares worth approximately $149,968 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The transaction was relatively small and planned in advance, limiting its significance, but it may modestly affect sentiment. Accenture Insider Transaction

Accenture Company Profile

Accenture plc NYSE: ACN is a global professional services company that helps organizations improve performance, modernize operations and respond to technological and market changes. Its services span strategy and consulting, technology, operations, and managed services, with expertise across industries including communications, financial services, health care, public service, retail, manufacturing and resources.

The company provides digital transformation, cloud migration, data and artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, systems integration and technology implementation services.

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