National Pension Service raised its holdings in Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN – Free Report) by 5.6% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 1,564,857 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock after buying an additional 82,362 shares during the quarter. National Pension Service’s holdings in Accenture were worth $194,731,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Accenture by 10.4% during the second quarter. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 74,187 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $9,232,000 after acquiring an additional 7,018 shares during the last quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Accenture by 287.0% in the fourth quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 1,307,722 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $350,862,000 after acquiring an additional 969,792 shares during the last quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund increased its position in shares of Accenture by 6.7% during the fourth quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 74,054 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $19,869,000 after purchasing an additional 4,640 shares in the last quarter. Ironwood Investment Counsel LLC raised its stake in Accenture by 29.0% in the 4th quarter. Ironwood Investment Counsel LLC now owns 39,755 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $10,666,000 after purchasing an additional 8,944 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. purchased a new position in Accenture in the 4th quarter valued at $13,014,000. 75.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Accenture Price Performance
Shares of ACN stock opened at $177.79 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 1.34 and a quick ratio of 1.34. The company has a market capitalization of $118.73 billion, a PE ratio of 14.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.10. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $165.95 and its two-hundred day moving average is $175.44. Accenture PLC has a 12 month low of $118.15 and a 12 month high of $291.09.
Accenture announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, June 23rd that permits the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the information technology services provider to buy up to 2.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.
Accenture Announces Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 9th were given a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 9th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.7%. Accenture’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 52.08%.
Key Stories Impacting Accenture
Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Accenture is partnering with Google Cloud to create an enterprise-AI group supported by roughly 1,000 forward-deployed engineers. The team will help clients implement AI agents and could strengthen Accenture’s position in the expanding AI-services market. Accenture and Google are teaming up to send 1,000 engineers into the field to help clients with AI
- Positive Sentiment: MotoGP Group selected Accenture to help develop its next-generation direct-to-fan, internet-delivered streaming platform. The agreement supports Accenture’s media and technology-services pipeline and may produce additional recurring digital-transformation work. MotoGP and Accenture Join Forces to Reinvent the Direct-to-Fan Sports Streaming Experience
- Positive Sentiment: Several analyst-oriented reports recommend retaining ACN, citing rising AI demand, strategic acquisitions, strong free cash flow and low leverage. Accenture generated approximately $12.6 billion in trailing free cash flow, implying an unusually high free-cash-flow yield after the stock’s decline. Here’s Why You Should Retain Accenture Stock in Your Portfolio Now
- Neutral Sentiment: One valuation-focused article argues that Accenture’s recent corporate move could materially change the investment math following a roughly 53% decline from its two-year peak. The potential benefit is weighed against questions about the company’s growth outlook. ACN Stock Is Down 53% From Its Peak — But Accenture Just Made a Move That Changes the Math
- Negative Sentiment: Recent trading coverage points to continued share-price pressure, with ACN falling more than the broader market in the referenced session. The main concern is that softer quarterly results and modest revenue growth may indicate that demand is not accelerating quickly enough to offset investor expectations. Accenture Dips More Than Broader Market
Insider Activity
In other news, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 10,498 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.98, for a total value of $1,710,964.04. Following the transaction, the general counsel directly owned 17,735 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,890,450.30. This represents a 37.18% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 0.02% of the company’s stock.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
ACN has been the subject of a number of research reports. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Accenture from $135.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 24th. Mizuho decreased their price target on shares of Accenture from $280.00 to $226.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. DA Davidson dropped their price objective on shares of Accenture from $275.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Evercore set a $180.00 price objective on shares of Accenture in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $190.00 target price on shares of Accenture in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Accenture presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $194.19.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Accenture
Accenture Profile
Accenture plc is a global professional services company that helps organizations improve business performance through consulting, technology, and managed services. Its offerings include strategy and consulting, technology implementation, operations support, and business process services.
The company provides digital transformation services involving cloud computing, artificial intelligence, data and analytics, cybersecurity, systems integration, and enterprise software. Through its Song and Industry X businesses, Accenture also supports customer experience, marketing, product engineering, and smart manufacturing initiatives.
Accenture serves clients across a broad range of industries, including financial services, health care, public service, communications, media and technology, consumer goods, retail, resources, and industrial markets.
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