163,635 Accenture PLC $ACN Shares Sold by Ninety One UK Ltd

Key Points

• Ninety One UK Ltd cut its Accenture stake by 81.6% in the third quarter, selling 163,635 shares and retaining 36,947 shares valued at $6.8 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds still own approximately 75.14% of the company.
• Accenture recently reported quarterly EPS of $3.29 and revenue of $18.68 billion, exceeding analyst estimates, while revenue rose 6.2% year over year. The company also authorized a $2 billion share buyback and raised its quarterly dividend to $1.71 per share.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $219.26. Shares opened at $224.84, despite continued concerns about cautious client spending, pricing pressure and execution risks.

Ninety One UK Ltd trimmed its position in Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN - Free Report) by 81.6% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 36,947 shares of the information technology services provider's stock after selling 163,635 shares during the period. Ninety One UK Ltd's holdings in Accenture were worth $6,775,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of ACN. PFG Private Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Accenture during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $277,000. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Accenture by 1,752.3% in the third quarter. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 72,370 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $13,270,000 after purchasing an additional 68,463 shares during the last quarter. Trust Co. of Oklahoma acquired a new stake in shares of Accenture in the third quarter valued at approximately $232,000. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Accenture by 18.9% in the third quarter. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,866 shares of the information technology services provider's stock worth $1,076,000 after purchasing an additional 934 shares in the last quarter. Finally, WealthPlan Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Accenture in the third quarter worth $227,000. 75.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Accenture news, COO Catherine Hogan sold 1,320 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $264,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 12,556 shares in the company, valued at $2,511,200. This trade represents a 9.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 10,498 shares of Accenture stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the general counsel directly owned 17,735 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,890,450.30. This trade 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. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 12,518 shares of company stock worth $2,124,932. 0.02% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Accenture Stock Up 4.6%

ACN stock opened at $224.84 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $150.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.58, a P/E/G ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.11. Accenture PLC has a twelve month low of $118.15 and a twelve month high of $291.09. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $188.31 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $174.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 1st. The information technology services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.18 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $18.68 billion for 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 business posted $3.03 EPS. Accenture has set its FY 2027 guidance at 14.390-14.810 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Accenture PLC will post 14.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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

Accenture Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be issued a dividend of $1.71 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 13th. This is a positive change from Accenture's previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. This represents a $6.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. Accenture's dividend payout ratio is presently 50.44%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently commented on ACN shares. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Accenture from $135.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, August 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on shares of Accenture from $136.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, September 18th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $220.00 price target on shares of Accenture in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Robert W. Baird set a $245.00 price objective on shares of Accenture in a research note on Thursday, October 1st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets set a $235.00 price objective on shares of Accenture in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $219.26.

Key Accenture News

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture outlined a three-year framework targeting at least mid-single-digit revenue growth, with potential acceleration through fiscal 2029. RBC said artificial intelligence is becoming a net demand driver, supporting expectations for stronger consulting and technology-services bookings. Accenture Sees AI as Net Demand Driver
• Positive Sentiment: Expanded alliances with Dell Technologies, Workday and Anthropic, along with the acquisition of Sagacity Solutions, reinforce Accenture’s strategy of helping enterprises deploy agentic AI, private AI infrastructure and AI-powered customer analytics. These initiatives could increase demand for consulting, implementation and managed services. Accenture AI Deals and Dividend Hike
• 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 company also has an authorized $2 billion share-repurchase program, improving shareholder returns and signaling confidence in the valuation.
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s latest quarterly results exceeded estimates, with earnings of $3.29 per share and revenue of $18.68 billion, up 6.2% year over year. Strong cash flow, bookings and a relatively modest valuation remain additional supports for the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: Susquehanna raised its price target to $230 from $210 but kept a neutral rating. TD Cowen also lifted its target, to $201 from $193, while retaining a hold rating. The mixed recommendations suggest analysts see improved prospects but limited near-term upside after the rally. Accenture Trending Stock Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned that cautious client spending, pricing pressure, acquisition dependence and execution risk could limit growth. Some commentary also argues that the recent rally has outpaced Accenture’s underlying fundamentals.
• Negative Sentiment: COO Catherine Hogan sold 700 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The transaction was relatively small and planned in advance, but it may modestly weigh on 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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