10,895 Shares in Accenture PLC $ACN Purchased by Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLC

Key Points

• Murphy Pohlad Asset Management purchased 10,895 Accenture shares worth approximately $2.0 million, while institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 75.14% of the company.
• Accenture reported quarterly EPS of $3.29 and revenue of $18.68 billion, exceeding analyst expectations, with revenue up 6.2% year over year. The company also increased its quarterly dividend to $1.71 per share.
• ACN shares recently traded down 3.6% to $249.42, while analysts maintained a mixed outlook: the consensus rating is “Hold” with a $219.52 target price, and insiders have reported notable stock sales.

Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN - Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 10,895 shares of the information technology services provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,998,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of ACN. Beaumont Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in Accenture by 4.0% in the 3rd quarter. Beaumont Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,989 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $548,000 after acquiring an additional 114 shares in the last quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. grew its stake in shares of Accenture by 8.3% during the third quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 14,566 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $2,671,000 after purchasing an additional 1,119 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Accenture by 1.7% in the third quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 9,852 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $1,807,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares in the last quarter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co increased its holdings in shares of Accenture by 0.7% in the third quarter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co now owns 84,018 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $15,406,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares in the last quarter. Finally, XXI Wealth LLC bought a new position in Accenture in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $208,000. 75.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Accenture Trading Down 3.6%

Shares of ACN stock traded down $9.32 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $249.42. The company had a trading volume of 6,845,748 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,265,866. Accenture PLC has a 1-year low of $118.15 and a 1-year high of $291.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.34. The firm has a market cap of $147.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.39, a P/E/G ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a 50 day moving average of $196.03 and a 200 day moving average of $176.15.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 1st. The information technology services provider reported $3.29 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 firm's quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.03 earnings per share. Accenture has set its FY 2027 guidance at 14.390-14.810 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Accenture PLC will post 14.68 EPS for the current year.

Accenture Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be given a dividend of $1.71 per share. This represents a $6.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 13th. This is an increase from Accenture's previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. Accenture's dividend payout ratio is presently 50.44%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 10,498 shares of Accenture stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.98, for a total transaction of $1,710,964.04. Following the transaction, 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Ryoji Sekido sold 5,844 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $244.84, for a total transaction of $1,430,844.96. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,194 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $292,338.96. This represents a 83.03% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 19,173 shares of company stock valued at $3,758,527. Insiders own 0.02% of the company's stock.

Accenture News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture’s consensus price target reportedly increased 12.22% to $238.14, while a bullish analysis projects an additional 23% total return through December 2027. These updates suggest some analysts continue to see upside from the company’s AI and digital-transformation growth. Accenture consensus price target increased Accenture total return analysis
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture Federal Services is working with Google Public Sector on Gemini launchpads for U.S. federal agencies. The initiative could expand Accenture’s government AI pipeline and reinforce its position as a generative-AI implementation partner. Accenture federal AI push
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s latest quarterly results surpassed expectations, with earnings of $3.29 per share versus $3.18 expected and revenue of $18.68 billion versus $18.03 billion expected. Revenue grew 6.2% year over year, and Accenture also raised its quarterly dividend to $1.71 per share from $1.63.
• Neutral Sentiment: Accenture is reviewing options for its Greater China business, potentially including a divestiture. A sale could reduce geopolitical exposure and simplify operations, but the review introduces uncertainty about the region’s future contribution.
• Negative Sentiment: Robert W. Baird downgraded Accenture from Outperform to Neutral, citing the stock’s sharp rebound and concern that the valuation already reflects much of the expected growth. Baird maintained a $252 price target, offering limited upside relative to recent trading levels. Baird downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Ryoji Sekido sold approximately $1.43 million of stock, reducing his direct holdings by 83%, while Chief Accounting Officer Melissa Burgum sold $202,750 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. Planned sales do not necessarily signal weaker fundamentals, but the transactions may weigh on sentiment.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have issued reports on ACN shares. UBS Group set a $278.00 price objective on Accenture in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued a "reduce" rating on shares of Accenture in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. BMO Capital Markets set a $235.00 target price on Accenture in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Accenture from $175.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Accenture from $179.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Accenture presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $219.52.

Accenture Profile

Accenture plc is a global professional services company that helps organizations transform their businesses through consulting, technology and managed services. Its work spans strategy and consulting, technology implementation, operations, and interactive customer experiences.

The company provides services in areas including cloud computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data and analytics, digital engineering, enterprise software, systems integration and business process outsourcing.

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