Accenture PLC $ACN Stock Acquired by Howard Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Howard Capital Management increased its Accenture stake by 240.3% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 47,106 shares valued at approximately $8.64 million. Institutional investors collectively own 75.14% of the company.
• Analysts maintain a generally cautious outlook, with a consensus “Hold” rating and average price target of $219.26, despite individual targets ranging from $195 to $250.
• Accenture reported quarterly EPS and revenue above expectations, raised its dividend to $1.71 per share, and has a $2 billion share-repurchase authorization. The company is also emphasizing AI-driven growth and plans approximately $8 billion in fiscal 2027 acquisitions.

Howard Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN - Free Report) by 240.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 47,106 shares of the information technology services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 33,262 shares during the period. Howard Capital Management LLC's holdings in Accenture were worth $8,638,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. IMG Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in Accenture by 134.8% during the first quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 155 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new stake in Accenture in the fourth quarter worth about $54,000. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Accenture in the fourth quarter worth about $56,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Accenture by 57.9% in the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 210 shares of the information technology services provider's stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 77 shares during the period. Finally, Dogwood Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Accenture by 147.1% during the 2nd quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 215 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.14% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have commented on ACN shares. Robert W. Baird set a $245.00 target price on shares of Accenture in a research note on Thursday, October 1st. Dbs Bank lowered shares of Accenture from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. BMO Capital Markets set a $235.00 price objective on shares of Accenture in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Accenture from $175.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, Evercore set a $250.00 price objective on shares of Accenture and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 1st. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Accenture currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $219.26.

Key Headlines Impacting Accenture

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture outlined a three-year plan targeting at least mid-single-digit revenue growth, with AI expected to become a net demand driver as clients move from pilot projects to broader implementation. The company highlighted AI-related work with UMass Memorial Health and expanded partnerships with Dell, Microsoft and Workday. Accenture Sees AI as Net Demand Driver
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture plans approximately $8 billion in fiscal 2027 acquisitions to expand cybersecurity capabilities, industry expertise and other growth areas. Investors may view the spending as a catalyst for revenue growth and deeper AI offerings, although successful integration will be important. Accenture's $8B Acquisition Push
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts raised their price targets after the investor day, citing Accenture’s AI opportunity and multi-year growth framework. Susquehanna increased its target to $230, while TD Cowen raised its target to $201, though both maintained non-bullish ratings. Analysts Raise Price Targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo maintained a Hold rating, reflecting investor debate over whether AI-driven growth can offset slower consulting demand and execution risks. BNP Paribas similarly said Accenture’s positive tailwinds have not yet fully overcome existing headwinds. Accenture Tailwinds and Headwinds
• Negative Sentiment: Accenture reportedly capped employees’ monthly Claude spending at $29 after some users spent as much as $1,000. The move may signal tighter control of internal AI costs and raises questions about how aggressively the company is using AI internally, despite marketing AI transformation to clients. Accenture Caps Claude Spending

Accenture Price Performance

ACN stock traded up $4.71 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $229.63. The company's stock had a trading volume of 7,485,602 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,063,213. Accenture PLC has a 12 month low of $118.15 and a 12 month high of $291.09. The company has a quick ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The firm has a market capitalization of $153.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a 50 day moving average of $189.39 and a two-hundred day moving average of $174.54.

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, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.18 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $18.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.03 billion. Accenture had a net margin of 11.28% and a return on equity of 26.53%. The company's revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.03 EPS. Accenture has set its FY 2027 guidance at 14.390-14.810 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Accenture PLC will post 14.68 EPS for the current year.

Accenture Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be issued a dividend of $1.71 per share. 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Accenture's payout ratio is currently 50.44%.

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

Insider Transactions at Accenture

In related news, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 10,498 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.98, for a total value of $1,710,964.04. Following the sale, the general counsel directly 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. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, COO Catherine Hogan sold 1,320 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 12,556 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,511,200. The trade was a 9.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 12,518 shares of company stock valued at $2,124,932. Company insiders own 0.02% of the company's stock.

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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