5,904 Shares in Accenture PLC $ACN Bought by Box Hill Private Wealth LLC

Key Points

• Box Hill Private Wealth LLC bought 5,904 Accenture shares worth approximately $1.08 million in the third quarter, making Accenture its 29th-largest portfolio holding. Institutional investors collectively own 75.14% of the company.
• Analyst views remain mixed: Accenture has 11 Buy, 14 Hold and 2 Sell ratings, with a consensus price target of $218.59. Recent targets ranged from $175 to $240.
• Accenture reported quarterly revenue of $18.68 billion and EPS of $3.29, beating estimates, while revenue rose 6.2% year over year. The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $1.71 per share and authorized a $2 billion share-repurchase program.

Box Hill Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN - Free Report) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 5,904 shares of the information technology services provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,083,000. Accenture accounts for approximately 0.8% of Box Hill Private Wealth LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest position.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ridgewood Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Accenture in the third quarter valued at about $208,000. Neville Rodie & Shaw Inc. purchased a new position in Accenture in the third quarter valued at about $215,000. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Accenture during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $361,000. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Accenture by 33.8% during the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 30,041 shares of the information technology services provider's stock worth $3,738,000 after acquiring an additional 7,591 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Andra AP fonden grew its holdings in shares of Accenture by 92.5% in the 2nd quarter. Andra AP fonden now owns 121,326 shares of the information technology services provider's stock worth $15,098,000 after acquiring an additional 58,300 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.14% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on ACN shares. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on Accenture from $175.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday. BMO Capital Markets set a $235.00 target price on Accenture in a report on Friday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on Accenture from $136.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, September 18th. BNP Paribas Exane decreased their price objective on shares of Accenture from $180.00 to $130.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Accenture in a research note on Wednesday, September 30th. Eleven 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $218.59.

Key Headlines Impacting Accenture

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture’s stronger-than-expected full-year revenue forecast helped lift India’s Nifty IT Index and eased concerns that artificial-intelligence disruption could reduce enterprise technology spending. The development reinforces expectations for resilient demand across IT services. Accenture forecast boosts Indian IT stocks
• Positive Sentiment: The company completed its acquisition of Denmark-based Mjølner Informatics, adding software-engineering capabilities serving energy, utilities and manufacturing clients. The deal could strengthen Accenture’s industry expertise and expand its European delivery platform. Accenture completes acquisition of Mjølner Informatics
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary highlights Accenture’s sizable free cash flow, strong return on equity and substantial buybacks and dividends, providing support for the stock’s investment case. Is Accenture Really Priced Like Its Best Days Are Over?
• Neutral Sentiment: Accenture’s latest results exceeded expectations, with quarterly revenue up year over year, while analyst coverage remains mixed: some firms raised targets or see upside, Guggenheim maintained a Neutral rating, and a new analyst roundup points to additional upgrades and downgrades. Accenture stock price expected to rise
• Neutral Sentiment: Accenture is identified as an active cybersecurity acquirer, suggesting that cybersecurity and adjacent capabilities are strategic priorities, although the investment benefits may take time to appear in results. The Biggest Buyers in Cybersecurity Now Are Not Cybersecurity Companies
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts are examining Accenture’s reliance on international revenue, which creates exposure to foreign economies, currencies and regional technology budgets. A separate analysis characterizes the company as a potential warning signal for broader enterprise IT spending, keeping investors cautious despite the improved forecast. Why Accenture international revenue trends deserve attention

Insider Buying and Selling 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 shares were sold at an average price of $162.98, for a total transaction of $1,710,964.04. Following the sale, the general counsel owned 17,735 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,890,450.30. This trade represents a 37.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.02% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Accenture Price Performance

Accenture stock traded down $3.75 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $195.15. 6,993,670 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,002,963. Accenture PLC has a 12-month low of $118.15 and a 12-month high of $291.09. The company has a market capitalization of $130.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.39, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.11. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $180.91 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $173.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.34.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 1st. The information technology services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.18 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $18.68 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.03 earnings per share. Accenture has set its FY 2027 guidance at 14.390-14.810 EPS. Analysts forecast that Accenture PLC will post 14.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Accenture Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be paid a dividend of $1.71 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 13th. This represents a $6.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.5%. This is an increase from Accenture's previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. Accenture's dividend payout ratio is 48.08%.

Accenture announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Tuesday, June 23rd that allows the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the information technology services provider to buy up to 2.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

About Accenture

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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