Asset Advisors Investment Management LLC Decreases Position in Accenture PLC $ACN

Key Points

• Asset Advisors Investment Management LLC cut its Accenture stake by 13.8% in Q4, selling 8,426 shares and retaining 52,499 shares worth $14.085 million (≈1.3% of the firm's portfolio; its 26th largest holding).
• Insiders sold significant stock last quarter — CEO Julie Spellman Sweet sold 6,057 shares at $241.23 and John F. Walsh sold 3,986 shares at $276.38 — with insiders offloading 20,256 shares worth $5.46 million total (insiders now own 0.02%).
• Operationally, Accenture beat Q results (EPS $2.93 vs. $2.84; revenue $18.04B) and declared a $1.63 quarterly dividend (3.6% yield), but management trimmed FY‑2026 guidance, which, coupled with a 52‑week low and a ~24% jump in short interest, has driven mixed market sentiment.

Asset Advisors Investment Management LLC lessened its holdings in Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN - Free Report) by 13.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 52,499 shares of the information technology services provider's stock after selling 8,426 shares during the period. Accenture makes up approximately 1.3% of Asset Advisors Investment Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest position. Asset Advisors Investment Management LLC's holdings in Accenture were worth $14,085,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ACN. Investors Research Corp boosted its position in Accenture by 73.8% in the 3rd quarter. Investors Research Corp now owns 106 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Accenture by 132.6% in the 3rd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 107 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the period. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in Accenture in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Board of the Pension Protection Fund purchased a new stake in shares of Accenture during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Davis Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Accenture during the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.14% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Accenture

In other news, CEO Julie Spellman Sweet sold 6,057 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $241.23, for a total transaction of $1,461,130.11. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 15,255 shares in the company, valued at $3,679,963.65. The trade was a 28.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO John F. Walsh sold 3,986 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $276.38, for a total transaction of $1,101,650.68. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 27,221 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,523,339.98. This trade represents a 12.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 20,256 shares of company stock valued at $5,464,134. Insiders own 0.02% of the company's stock.

Accenture Trading Down 0.1%

NYSE ACN opened at $179.33 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a current ratio of 1.34. The firm has a market cap of $119.33 billion, a PE ratio of 14.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.24. Accenture PLC has a one year low of $177.50 and a one year high of $325.71. The firm's fifty day moving average is $209.30 and its two-hundred day moving average is $241.52.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, March 20th. The information technology services provider reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.84 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $18.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.80 billion. Accenture had a net margin of 10.61% and a return on equity of 26.33%. Accenture's quarterly revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.82 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Accenture PLC will post 12.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Accenture Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be paid a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. Accenture's payout ratio is 53.40%.

Trending Headlines about Accenture

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture invested in Replit via Accenture Ventures to speed AI-driven software development for enterprise clients — a move that strengthens its AI tooling and go-to-market capabilities. Accenture Invests in Replit to Accelerate AI-Driven Software Development
• Positive Sentiment: Acquisition of Keepler Data Tech adds ~240 cloud/AI professionals and deepens Accenture’s data/AI delivery capability in Europe — reinforces the company’s strategic positioning in AI and cloud services. Accenture Buys Keepler To Deepen AI Data Capabilities And Investor Story
• Positive Sentiment: UBS flagged Accenture’s AI spending as potential underestimated upside — a bullish take that could support multiple expansion if AI-driven revenue acceleration materializes. Accenture’s AI spending spree signals underestimated upside, UBS says
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and commentary highlight mixed analyst responses and valuation debates — some trims on price targets citing booking/AI concerns, while others point to solid execution and a fair‑value anchor near $252. How The Accenture (ACN) Investment Story Is Shifting With AI Questions And Mixed Analyst Targets
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO commentary on which workers are affected by AI is getting attention as investors try to gauge how AI will reshape services demand and margins over time. Why Accenture's CEO Believes Entry-Level Workers Aren't the Ones Struggling with AI Today
• Negative Sentiment: Management lowered FY‑2026 revenue and EPS guidance: FY revenue guidance of ~$71.8B–$73.2B (below the ~$73.9B consensus) and EPS guidance of $13.65–$13.90 (around/below consensus), plus Q3 revenue range slightly below estimates — the guidance reset is the primary near‑term catalyst for the stock decline.
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest jumped ~24.1% in March to 18.24M shares (≈2.7% of shares outstanding), signaling increased bearish positioning and potential downside pressure. (Short‑interest ratio ≈ 1.9 days based on average volume.)
• Negative Sentiment: Shares hit a 52‑week low amid a broad selloff — the stock has fallen sharply over the past year and has shown negative returns across recent timeframes, prompting re‑ratings and risk reassessment by investors. Accenture stock hits 52-week low at $186.99

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently issued reports on ACN. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Accenture from $266.00 to $215.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on shares of Accenture from $317.00 to $260.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. HSBC raised shares of Accenture from a "reduce" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $220.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Friday, March 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Accenture from $243.00 to $247.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Susquehanna lifted their price objective on shares of Accenture from $270.00 to $277.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Eighteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $274.88.

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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