Dearborn Partners LLC Takes $4.49 Million Position in Accenture PLC $ACN

Key Points

• Dearborn Partners bought 36,053 Accenture shares in the second quarter, establishing a new position worth approximately $4.49 million. Institutional investors collectively own 75.14% of the company.
• Accenture reported quarterly EPS of $3.80, exceeding estimates, while revenue rose 5.6% year over year to $18.72 billion. The company also authorized a $2 billion share-repurchase program and pays a $1.63 quarterly dividend.
• Accenture is expanding its AI and digital-transformation capabilities through the planned acquisition of Japan-based COMWARE, but analyst sentiment remains mixed: the consensus rating is “Hold,” with an average price target of $194.19.

Dearborn Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 36,053 shares of the information technology services provider's stock, valued at approximately $4,486,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Accenture in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. McMillan Office Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Accenture during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. purchased a new stake in shares of Accenture in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Accenture during the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new stake in Accenture during the 4th quarter worth $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.14% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Accenture

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture agreed to acquire COMWARE, a Tokyo technology-services provider serving mid-market companies. The deal adds more than 180 professionals and expertise in SAP, customer relationship management and manufacturing, potentially expanding Accenture’s AI-led services and digital-core transformation business in Japan. Financial terms were not disclosed. Accenture to Acquire COMWARE to Strengthen Accenture Edge and Accelerate Digital Core Reinvention for Mid-Market Companies in Japan
• Positive Sentiment: The acquisition supports Accenture’s strategy of using acquisitions to build industry and regional capabilities, particularly among Japan’s mid-market businesses. Investors may view the transaction as a catalyst for longer-term growth in AI implementation and enterprise modernization services. Accenture to Acquire Japan-Based Comware to Boost Mid-Market AI Services
• Neutral Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its Accenture price target from $151 to $173 but maintained a “Hold” rating. The revised target remains below the stock’s current trading level, signaling that the analyst sees limited near-term upside despite the higher valuation estimate. Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: Accenture recently underperformed the broader market, closing a session at $181.38 after a 2.97% decline. The move indicates continuing sensitivity to valuation, technology-sector sentiment and concerns about the pace at which AI investments translate into revenue and earnings. Accenture Falls More Steeply Than Broader Market

Accenture Price Performance

NYSE:ACN opened at $187.18 on Friday. Accenture PLC has a 12-month low of $118.15 and a 12-month high of $291.09. The firm has a market cap of $125.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 1.09. The company's 50-day moving average is $154.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $178.24. The company has a current ratio of 1.34, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, June 19th. The information technology services provider reported $3.80 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.70 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $18.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.78 billion. Accenture had a net margin of 10.66% and a return on equity of 26.47%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.49 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Accenture PLC will post 13.85 EPS for the current year.

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

Accenture Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 9th were issued a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 9th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.5%. Accenture's payout ratio is 52.08%.

Insider Activity

In other news, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 10,498 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 sale, 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.02% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Accenture in a report on Wednesday. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on Accenture from $270.00 to $230.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, June 18th. BNP Paribas Exane cut their target price on shares of Accenture from $180.00 to $130.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Accenture from $135.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on Accenture from $315.00 to $270.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $194.19.

Accenture Company Profile

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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