Factory Mutual Insurance Co. Grows Position in Accenture PLC $ACN

Key Points

• Factory Mutual Insurance Co. boosted its Accenture stake by 92.7% in Q4 to 199,600 shares, worth about $53.55 million.
• Accenture beat the latest quarterly estimates (EPS $2.93 vs. $2.84; revenue $18.04B vs. $17.80B) but cut FY‑2026 guidance, triggering analyst price‑target trims, a stock decline and rising short interest.
• The firm declared a quarterly dividend of $1.63 per share (annualized $6.52), implying a roughly 3.6% yield with an ex‑dividend date of April 9 and payment on May 15.

Factory Mutual Insurance Co. raised its holdings in shares of Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN - Free Report) by 92.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 199,600 shares of the information technology services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 96,000 shares during the quarter. Factory Mutual Insurance Co.'s holdings in Accenture were worth $53,553,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in ACN. Investors Research Corp lifted its holdings in Accenture by 73.8% during the third quarter. Investors Research Corp now owns 106 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Accenture by 132.6% in the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 107 shares of the information technology services provider's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Accenture in the third quarter worth about $26,000. Board of the Pension Protection Fund purchased a new stake in shares of Accenture in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Davis Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Accenture in the third quarter worth about $28,000. 75.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Accenture Stock Down 3.6%

ACN stock opened at $179.33 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.34, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The company's 50 day moving average is $209.30 and its 200 day moving average is $241.46. The stock has a market cap of $119.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.24. Accenture PLC has a 1-year low of $177.50 and a 1-year high of $325.71.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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. Accenture had a net margin of 10.61% and a return on equity of 26.33%. The business had revenue of $18.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $17.80 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.82 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Accenture PLC will post 12.73 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Accenture Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Accenture

In other Accenture news, CEO Julie Spellman Sweet sold 6,057 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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. This trade represents a 28.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO John F. Walsh sold 3,986 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 27th. The shares were 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 $7,523,339.98. The trade was a 12.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 20,256 shares of company stock valued at $5,464,134. 0.02% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on ACN. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on shares of Accenture from $330.00 to $265.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 20th. Guggenheim lowered their price target on shares of Accenture from $275.00 to $250.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on shares of Accenture from $295.00 to $253.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 20th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Accenture from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of Accenture from $309.00 to $280.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. 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 an average target price of $274.88.

Accenture News Roundup

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

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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