Accenture PLC $ACN Shares Sold by Rockland Trust Co.

Key Points

• Rockland Trust Co. reduced its Accenture stake by 96.4% in the third quarter, selling 121,982 shares and retaining 4,513 shares valued at approximately $828,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 75.14% of Accenture.
• Accenture reported quarterly EPS of $3.29 and revenue of $18.68 billion, exceeding analysts’ estimates, while revenue increased 6.2% year over year. The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $1.71 and authorized a $2 billion share-repurchase program.
• Analyst views remain mixed, with an overall “Hold” rating and an average price target of $218.59. Recent targets range from $175 to $245, reflecting differing views on Accenture’s growth prospects, valuation and exposure to AI-driven changes in technology spending.

Rockland Trust Co. trimmed its position in shares of Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN - Free Report) by 96.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,513 shares of the information technology services provider's stock after selling 121,982 shares during the period. Rockland Trust Co.'s holdings in Accenture were worth $828,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Accenture by 33.8% in the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 30,041 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $3,738,000 after buying an additional 7,591 shares during the period. Andra AP fonden grew its position in Accenture by 92.5% in the 2nd quarter. Andra AP fonden now owns 121,326 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $15,098,000 after acquiring an additional 58,300 shares in the last quarter. Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas grew its position in Accenture by 8.3% in the 2nd quarter. Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas now owns 172,023 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $21,406,000 after acquiring an additional 13,244 shares in the last quarter. National Pension Service increased its stake in Accenture by 5.6% during the second quarter. National Pension Service now owns 1,564,857 shares of the information technology services provider's stock worth $194,731,000 after purchasing an additional 82,362 shares during the period. Finally, Engineers Gate Manager LP lifted its position in shares of Accenture by 5.2% during the second quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 15,708 shares of the information technology services provider's stock worth $1,955,000 after purchasing an additional 781 shares in the last quarter. 75.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Accenture News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture’s stronger-than-expected full-year revenue outlook helped lift technology-sector sentiment, including India’s Nifty IT index. The forecast also eased concerns that artificial intelligence could sharply reduce corporate technology spending. Accenture forecast boosts Indian IT stocks
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture completed its acquisition of Denmark-based Mjølner Informatics, adding software-engineering capabilities serving energy, utilities and manufacturing clients. The deal could strengthen its industry-specific digital transformation offerings. Accenture completes acquisition of Mjølner Informatics
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary highlights Accenture’s substantial free cash flow, strong return on equity and shareholder returns through buybacks and dividends. Truist raised its outlook for the shares, while RBC increased its price target, providing additional support. Accenture valuation and shareholder returns
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are assessing Accenture’s international revenue mix. Overseas exposure provides diversification and growth opportunities but also leaves results sensitive to foreign-exchange movements, regional economic weakness and uneven technology spending. Accenture international revenue trends
• Neutral Sentiment: Accenture’s diversified Fortune Global 100 customer base and recurring consulting relationships compare favorably with large technology peers, although investors continue to weigh its slower growth profile against its valuation. Accenture versus Microsoft
• Negative Sentiment: A bearish analysis describes Accenture as a potential warning signal for broader enterprise technology demand, suggesting investors should watch bookings, discretionary consulting spending and the pace at which AI changes traditional services. Accenture: Canary in a Coal Mine

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on ACN shares. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Accenture from $135.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, August 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of Accenture from $175.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed a "reduce" rating on shares of Accenture in a research report on Friday. Robert W. Baird set a $245.00 target price on Accenture in a report on Thursday. Finally, DA Davidson lowered their target price on Accenture from $275.00 to $175.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Accenture has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $218.59.

Insider Transactions 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 stock was 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 in the company, valued at $2,890,450.30. This trade represents a 37.18% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.02% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Accenture Stock Down 1.9%

ACN stock opened at $195.15 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $130.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.39, a PEG ratio of 1.64 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 PLC has a twelve month low of $118.15 and a twelve month high of $291.09. The company's 50 day moving average is $181.73 and its two-hundred day moving average is $173.43.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 1st. The information technology services provider reported $3.29 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.18 by $0.11. Accenture had a net margin of 11.28% and a return on equity of 26.53%. The firm had revenue of $18.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.03 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.03 EPS. Accenture's revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Accenture has set its FY 2027 guidance at 14.390-14.810 EPS. Research analysts expect that Accenture PLC will post 14.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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 given a $1.71 dividend. This is a boost from Accenture's previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. 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 3.5%. Accenture's payout ratio is currently 48.08%.

Accenture declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Tuesday, June 23rd that allows the company to buyback $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the information technology services provider to purchase up to 2.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually an indication that the company's management believes its stock is 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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