8,923 Accenture PLC $ACN Shares Purchased by HF Advisory Group LLC

Key Points

• HF Advisory Group increased its Accenture stake by 197.8% in the third quarter, purchasing 8,923 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 13,434 shares valued at approximately $2.46 million.
• Accenture reported quarterly results above expectations, with adjusted EPS of $3.29 and revenue of $18.68 billion, up 6.2% year over year. The company also authorized a $2 billion stock buyback and raised its quarterly dividend to $1.71.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: Accenture has a consensus “Hold” rating and a $219.15 price target, while investors continue to assess AI-driven growth opportunities against potential consulting-fee and margin pressure.

HF Advisory Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN - Free Report) by 197.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 13,434 shares of the information technology services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 8,923 shares during the period. HF Advisory Group LLC's holdings in Accenture were worth $2,463,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Flossbach Von Storch SE purchased a new stake in Accenture in the second quarter valued at approximately $309,873,000. First Trust Advisors LP grew its holdings in Accenture by 120.0% during the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,482,150 shares of the information technology services provider's stock worth $690,475,000 after acquiring an additional 1,899,305 shares in the last quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Accenture by 84.0% during the first quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 2,405,683 shares of the information technology services provider's stock worth $477,023,000 after purchasing an additional 1,097,961 shares in the last quarter. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Accenture during the 4th quarter worth about $253,120,000. Finally, Artemis Investment Management LLP raised its holdings in Accenture by 67.6% during the third quarter. Artemis Investment Management LLP now owns 2,196,789 shares of the information technology services provider's stock worth $402,825,000 after purchasing an additional 885,687 shares in the last quarter. 75.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Accenture News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture’s fiscal fourth-quarter results exceeded expectations, with adjusted EPS of $3.29 versus the $3.18 consensus and revenue of $18.68 billion versus estimates of $18.03 billion. Revenue increased 6.2% year over year, helping drive the recent rally. Accenture Could Be 30% Undervalued
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentators increasingly view Accenture as an undervalued artificial-intelligence and enterprise-services beneficiary. The company’s AI-related work and enterprise momentum could convert elevated AI spending into longer-term revenue growth. Is Accenture the Market’s Most Overlooked AI Play?
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture increased its dividend by 4.91%, signaling continued confidence in cash generation. One dividend-focused analysis rated ACN highly and estimated substantial upside to fair value, although the increase was below the company’s five-year dividend-growth rate. Dividend Announcements
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Accenture as a strong momentum stock, reflecting improving price performance and investor interest following the earnings beat. Why Accenture Is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Investors continue to monitor whether AI-driven efficiency and pricing pressure could reduce fees for consulting work. Management acknowledged lower pricing in several areas during the quarter, creating a potential risk to margins and future growth. What Would It Take for AI Price Cuts to Break Accenture Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: COO Catherine Hogan sold 1,320 shares for approximately $264,000 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The transaction reduced her holdings by 9.51%, but its scheduled nature limits its significance as a bearish signal.

Insider Buying and Selling at Accenture

In related news, COO Catherine Hogan sold 1,320 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 8th. The stock was 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 directly owned 12,556 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,511,200. This represents a 9.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 10,498 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the general counsel owned 17,735 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,890,450.30. The trade was a 37.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 own 0.02% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently weighed in on ACN shares. Mizuho boosted their target price on Accenture from $226.00 to $241.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday. 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 report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Dbs Bank lowered Accenture from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Guggenheim reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Accenture in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $245.00 target price on shares of Accenture in a research report on Thursday, October 1st. 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, Accenture has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $219.15.

Accenture Trading Up 0.0%

Accenture stock opened at $208.39 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $184.52 and a 200 day moving average price of $173.68. Accenture PLC has a 52 week low of $118.15 and a 52 week high of $291.09. The stock has a market cap of $139.16 billion, a PE ratio of 15.37, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a current ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 1st. The information technology services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.18 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $18.68 billion during 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%. Accenture's revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.03 EPS. Accenture has set its FY 2027 guidance at 14.390-14.810 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Accenture PLC will post 14.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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

Accenture Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be paid a $1.71 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 13th. This represents a $6.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.3%. This is a boost from Accenture's previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. Accenture's payout ratio is 48.08%.

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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