United Asset Strategies Inc. Acquires 17,218 Shares of Accenture PLC $ACN

Key Points

• United Asset Strategies increased its Accenture stake by 404.1% in the third quarter, acquiring 17,218 shares for a total holding of 21,479 shares valued at approximately $3.94 million. Institutional investors collectively own 75.14% of the company.
• Accenture exceeded quarterly expectations with earnings of $3.29 per share and revenue of $18.68 billion, while revenue grew 6.2% year over year. The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $1.71, representing a 2.8% annualized yield.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious, with a consensus “Hold” rating and average price target of $221.07, below the reported share price of $247.05. CEO Julie Sweet bought approximately $3 million in shares, although other insiders sold stock during the period.

United Asset Strategies Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN - Free Report) by 404.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 21,479 shares of the information technology services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 17,218 shares during the period. United Asset Strategies Inc.'s holdings in Accenture were worth $3,939,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in ACN. IMG Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in Accenture by 134.8% during the 1st quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 155 shares of the information technology services provider's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the period. Foresight Capital Management Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Accenture during the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Accenture by 57.9% during the 1st 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 last quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Accenture by 147.1% in the 2nd quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 215 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Accenture by 587.5% in the 3rd quarter. Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 220 shares of the information technology services provider's stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 188 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.14% of the company's stock.

Accenture Stock Up 1.5%

Accenture stock opened at $247.05 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $146.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.22, a P/E/G ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a quick ratio of 1.43, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. Accenture PLC has a twelve month low of $118.15 and a twelve month high of $291.09. The company's 50-day moving average price is $201.23 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $192.55.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 1st. The information technology services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.18 by $0.11. Accenture had a return on equity of 26.53% and a net margin of 11.28%. The company had revenue of $18.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $18.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.03 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. Accenture has set its FY 2027 guidance at 14.390-14.810 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Accenture PLC will post 14.68 EPS for the current year.

Accenture Increases Dividend

The company 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 is a boost from Accenture's previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 13th. This represents a $6.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. Accenture's dividend payout ratio is presently 50.44%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings raised Accenture from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. Guggenheim reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Accenture in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Evercore set a $250.00 price objective on Accenture and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 1st. Robert W. Baird downgraded Accenture from an "outperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and increased their price objective for the company from $245.00 to $252.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of Accenture from $230.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 1st. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $221.07.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Accenture news, CAO Melissa Burgum sold 811 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $202,750.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 9,820 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,455,000. This represents a 7.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Julie Sweet acquired 12,200 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, October 26th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $245.99 per share, for a total transaction of $3,001,078.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 48,910 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,031,370.90. This trade represents a 33.23% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 8,675 shares of company stock worth $2,047,563 over the last three months. 0.02% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines 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.

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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