Accenture PLC $ACN Shares Sold by Rathbones Group PLC

Key Points

• Rathbones Group PLC cut its stake in Accenture by 16.2%, selling 214,514 shares and leaving 1,105,760 shares (about 0.17% of Accenture) worth roughly $272.68 million, making ACN its 20th-largest holding.
• Accenture beat quarterly estimates with $3.94 EPS versus a $3.73 consensus and $18.74 billion in revenue, set FY2026 EPS guidance of 13.52–13.90, and pays a $1.63 quarterly dividend (≈3.0% yield).
• The company is expanding its AI and network capabilities (acquiring Ookla, buying AI tech from Avanseus and partnering with Mistral AI) amid mixed analyst views (average target ≈$291.69) and recent insider/institutional selling (insiders sold about $6.0M last quarter; institutions own ~75%).

Rathbones Group PLC cut its stake in shares of Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN - Free Report) by 16.2% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,105,760 shares of the information technology services provider's stock after selling 214,514 shares during the quarter. Accenture makes up approximately 1.1% of Rathbones Group PLC's portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest position. Rathbones Group PLC owned 0.17% of Accenture worth $272,680,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Accenture by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,751 shares of the information technology services provider's stock worth $1,108,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Alpha Cubed Investments LLC raised its holdings in shares of Accenture by 6.4% in the 2nd quarter. Alpha Cubed Investments LLC now owns 744 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $222,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Councilmark Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Accenture by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. Councilmark Asset Management LLC now owns 9,344 shares of the information technology services provider's stock worth $2,793,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Investors Research Corp grew its stake in shares of Accenture by 73.8% during the third quarter. Investors Research Corp now owns 106 shares of the information technology services provider's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Finally, WP Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Accenture by 1.0% in the second quarter. WP Advisors LLC now owns 4,719 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $1,410,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.14% of the company's stock.

Accenture Stock Performance

Shares of Accenture stock opened at $217.12 on Friday. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $248.64 and its 200-day simple moving average is $250.66. Accenture PLC has a 12 month low of $188.73 and a 12 month high of $342.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $133.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.94, a PEG ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 1.41 and a quick ratio of 1.41.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 18th. The information technology services provider reported $3.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.73 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $18.74 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.51 billion. Accenture had a net margin of 10.76% and a return on equity of 26.65%. Accenture's revenue for the quarter was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.59 EPS. Accenture has set its FY 2026 guidance at 13.520-13.900 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Accenture PLC will post 12.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Accenture Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Tuesday, January 13th were given a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, January 13th. Accenture's payout ratio is 53.88%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have issued reports on ACN shares. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and set a $300.00 price target on shares of Accenture in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $300.00 target price on shares of Accenture in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Argus lowered their price target on Accenture from $370.00 to $335.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 29th. Berenberg Bank began coverage on shares of Accenture in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. They issued a "buy" rating and a $313.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Accenture from $251.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $291.69.

Insider Activity

In other Accenture news, COO Catherine Kiernan Hogan sold 660 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $280.93, for a total transaction of $185,413.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 12,688 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,564,439.84. This represents a 4.94% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CAO Melissa A. Burgum sold 3,588 shares of Accenture stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $281.01, for a total value of $1,008,263.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 8,179 shares in the company, valued at $2,298,380.79. This trade represents a 30.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 22,088 shares of company stock worth $5,970,434 over the last quarter. 0.02% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Trending Headlines about Accenture

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture agreed to acquire Ookla (maker of Speedtest, Downdetector, RootMetrics) to bolster network intelligence and connectivity analytics — expands data assets for telco and enterprise network services. Accenture (ACN) To Accquire OoKla, the Company Behind Popular Speedtest Tool
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture bought advanced AI technology from Avanseus to improve predictive models, anomaly detection and automation for network operations — a capability play that supports higher-margin managed services. Accenture (ACN) Acquires Advanced AI Technology Solution From Avanseus
• Positive Sentiment: New collaboration with Mistral AI aims to accelerate enterprise-grade AI deployments — reinforces Accenture’s positioning as a systems integrator for generative/enterprise AI. Accenture Bets On Ookla And Mistral AI To Reinforce Client Demand
• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer publicly said Accenture “shouldn’t be that low,” providing a sentiment boost and drawing retail attention to recent strategic buys. Jim Cramer on Accenture: "It shouldn't be that low"
• Positive Sentiment: UBS called the Ookla deal a timely bet on AI-driven network intelligence, signaling positive institutional take on strategic fit. UBS sees Accenture’s Ookla deal as timely bet on AI-driven network intelligence
• Neutral Sentiment: Several outlets include ACN among top IT services or growth picks for 2026 (Zacks, Yahoo lists) — positive framing but less immediate impact than deal/earnings news. Buy 5 Computers IT Services Stocks to Boost Your Portfolio in 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Deutsche Bank cut its price target to $230 from $280 and kept a "hold" rating, signaling lower near-term upside from that broker — pressure on sentiment despite strategic moves. Deutsche Bank Cuts Price Target On Accenture To $230 From $280, Keeps "Hold" Rating
• Negative Sentiment: Jensen Quality Growth Equity disclosed it sold Accenture in Q4 — a notable institutional reduction that may signal rotation away from ACN among some active managers. Jensen Quality Growth Equity Decided to Sell Accenture (ACN)
• Negative Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha note argues Accenture’s AI narrative hasn’t yet translated into stronger growth expectations (FY26 guide implies modest revenue growth), keeping investor caution. Accenture: AI Story Isn't Enough To Excite Investors Just Yet

About Accenture

Accenture is a global professional services company that provides a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. The firm works with organizations across industries to design and implement business transformation programs, deploy and manage enterprise technology, optimize operations, and develop customer and digital experiences. Its offerings encompass management and technology consulting, systems integration, application and infrastructure services, cloud migration and managed services, as well as security and analytics capabilities.

The company delivers industry- and function-specific solutions, combining consulting expertise with proprietary tools, platforms and partnerships with major technology vendors.

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