Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) Stock Now Rated "Hold" by Wall Street Brokerages

Key Points

• Accenture has a consensus “Hold” rating from 27 analysts: 16 holds, 10 buys and one sell. The average 12-month price target is $200.04, above the cited share price of $175.83.
• Analysts have recently raised targets, including JPMorgan to $200 with an “overweight” rating, while TD Cowen, BMO Capital Markets and Citigroup maintained neutral or hold views.
• Accenture authorized a $2 billion share-repurchase program, covering up to 2.4% of shares. Institutional investors own 75.14% of the stock, while insider ownership is 0.02%.

Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus rating of "Hold" from the twenty-seven ratings firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have issued a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $200.04.

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of Accenture from $151.00 to $173.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 26th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of Accenture from $150.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Accenture from $179.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Accenture from $135.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, August 24th. Finally, Berenberg Bank cut their price target on shares of Accenture from $273.00 to $220.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th.

Insider Activity at Accenture

In related news, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 10,498 shares of the firm'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 transaction of $1,710,964.04. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel owned 17,735 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,890,450.30. This trade represents a 37.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.02% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Accenture

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Accenture by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 28,264,675 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $7,583,462,000 after acquiring an additional 129,610 shares during the period. Capital International Investors grew its holdings in Accenture by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 17,471,554 shares of the information technology services provider's stock worth $4,687,867,000 after purchasing an additional 343,420 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. increased 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 purchasing an additional 1,122,855 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Accenture during the fourth quarter valued at about $2,146,995,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE boosted its position in shares of Accenture by 2.2% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 6,531,231 shares of the information technology services provider's stock worth $1,295,078,000 after purchasing an additional 143,483 shares in the last quarter. 75.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Accenture Price Performance

Accenture stock opened at $175.83 on Friday. The stock's 50 day moving average is $176.21 and its 200 day moving average is $174.04. Accenture has a one year low of $118.15 and a one year high of $291.09. The firm has a market cap of $117.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.46 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.

Accenture declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, June 23rd that allows the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the information technology services provider to purchase up to 2.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Trending Headlines about Accenture

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target to $200 from $179 and upgraded its outlook to “overweight,” implying roughly 14% upside from the referenced price. The call adds support to the recent recovery. JPMorgan Accenture price-target report
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture’s shares have rallied strongly over the past three months as investors anticipate rising demand for AI services, new AI-led offerings and continued cash generation to fund shareholder returns. ACN Stock Rises 37.6% in Three Months
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture was selected by Anthropic as an on-site evaluator for frontier AI development. The engagement could strengthen Accenture’s position in AI safety, governance and enterprise implementation services. Anthropic appoints Accenture as on-site evaluator
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture’s expansion across AI and cloud—including Accenture Construct, AWS offerings and Google Cloud-related automotive work—supports the longer-term growth narrative. Expectations for upcoming earnings also point to potential year-over-year improvement. Accenture AI safety and cloud expansion
• Neutral Sentiment: Jefferies lifted its price target to $190 from $130 but maintained a “hold” rating, suggesting analysts see improved value while remaining cautious about near-term upside. Jefferies Accenture price-target report
• Negative Sentiment: Accenture remains about 53% below its pre-tariff-shock high and recently declined over the past month. The stock’s recovery therefore remains vulnerable to another market or macroeconomic shock. How Much Downside Is Left in Accenture Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: BMO Capital retained its “hold” rating, while recent market underperformance and questions about whether the shares are fully valued may limit enthusiasm despite the AI growth story.

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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