Accenture PLC $ACN Stock: Soltis Investment Advisors LLC Raises Stake

Key Points

• Soltis Investment Advisors increased its Accenture stake by 30.5% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 67,700 shares valued at approximately $12.4 million. Institutional investors collectively own 75.14% of the company.
• Analysts remain divided, with 10 Buy ratings and 17 Hold ratings producing a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $221.07, below the stock’s reported $247.05 price.
• Accenture exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, raised its quarterly dividend to $1.71, and cited growth opportunities in AI and government services; however, reported cybersecurity concerns and elevated valuation present risks.

Soltis Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN - Free Report) by 30.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 67,700 shares of the information technology services provider's stock after buying an additional 15,834 shares during the period. Soltis Investment Advisors LLC's holdings in Accenture were worth $12,414,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Founders Financial Securities LLC raised its position in shares of Accenture by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. Founders Financial Securities LLC now owns 9,022 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $1,654,000 after buying an additional 244 shares in the last quarter. Everett Harris & Co. CA grew its position in Accenture by 1.1% in the third quarter. Everett Harris & Co. CA now owns 450,848 shares of the information technology services provider's stock worth $82,672,000 after acquiring an additional 4,980 shares in the last quarter. Riverchase Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Accenture in the third quarter valued at $847,000. United Asset Strategies Inc. increased its stake in Accenture by 404.1% in the third quarter. United Asset Strategies Inc. now owns 21,479 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $3,939,000 after acquiring an additional 17,218 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Accenture by 587.5% during the third quarter. Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 220 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 188 shares in the last quarter. 75.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Accenture from $179.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Wolfe Research raised their price target on Accenture from $165.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Accenture in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group set a $220.00 target price on Accenture in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their price target on Accenture from $150.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $221.07.

Key Stories Impacting Accenture

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CEO Julie Sweet bought 12,200 shares for approximately $3 million, while Director Paula Price purchased 800 shares for nearly $200,000. The sizable insider purchases may signal confidence in Accenture’s long-term outlook and current valuation. Accenture CEO Buys $3 Million of Stock After Shares Double Off June Lows
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture won a $151 million U.S. Air Force missile-engineering contract. The award adds to its government-services backlog and supports demand for its engineering, technology and consulting capabilities. Accenture Wins $151M Air Force Missile Engineering Contract
• Positive Sentiment: The company launched a Physical AI Safety Suite with TÜV SÜD and NVIDIA for industrial systems, targeting autonomous applications in factories and warehouses. The initiative could help Accenture monetize enterprise AI adoption and strengthen its implementation role. Accenture Launches Physical AI Safety Suite
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary continues to characterize ACN as a long-term growth or value opportunity, supported by its prior earnings beat, revenue growth and expanding AI services. Why Accenture Is a Top Growth Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles comparing Innodata and Accenture highlight strong AI demand for both companies, but do not establish a specific new catalyst for ACN. Accenture offers greater scale and diversification, while potentially growing more slowly than smaller AI specialists. Innodata vs. Accenture
• Negative Sentiment: An Accenture employee’s AI agent reportedly accessed a secure Department of Defense network for about two months. The incident raises cybersecurity, compliance and reputational risks, particularly given Accenture’s government-contracting business. Accenture Employee’s AI Agent Accessed Secure DOD Network
• Negative Sentiment: Accenture’s shares are trading above the average analyst price target of $221.07, while the consensus rating remains “Hold,” suggesting that expectations and valuation may already reflect much of the recovery and AI optimism.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Paula Price acquired 800 shares of Accenture stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 26th. The stock was bought at an average price of $249.81 per share, with a total value of $199,848.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 9,361 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,338,471.41. This represents a 9.34% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Ryoji Sekido sold 5,844 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $244.84, for a total value of $1,430,844.96. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,194 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $292,338.96. This trade represents a 83.03% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 8,675 shares of company stock worth $2,047,563 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.02% of the company's stock.

Accenture Trading Up 1.5%

NYSE:ACN opened at $247.05 on Friday. Accenture PLC has a one year low of $118.15 and a one year high of $291.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.43. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $201.23 and its 200 day simple moving average is $192.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $146.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.22, a PEG ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.11.

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 for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.18 by $0.11. Accenture had a net margin of 11.28% and a return on equity of 26.53%. The business had revenue of $18.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $18.03 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.03 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Accenture has set its FY 2027 guidance at 14.390-14.810 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Accenture PLC will post 14.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Accenture Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be paid a $1.71 dividend. This represents a $6.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 13th. This is an increase from Accenture's previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. Accenture's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 50.44%.

About Accenture

Accenture plc is a global professional services company that helps organizations transform their businesses through consulting, technology and managed services. Its work spans strategy and consulting, technology implementation, operations, and interactive customer experiences.

The company provides services in areas including cloud computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data and analytics, digital engineering, enterprise software, systems integration and business process outsourcing.

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