Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN – Get Free Report) COO Catherine Hogan sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $214.24, for a total transaction of $149,968.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 11,856 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,540,029.44. This trade represents a 5.58% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.
Catherine Kiernan Hogan also recently made the following trade(s):
- On Thursday, October 8th, Catherine Hogan sold 1,320 shares of Accenture stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total transaction of $264,000.00.
Accenture Stock Performance
Shares of NYSE:ACN opened at $213.31 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $142.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.39, a PEG ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.11. Accenture PLC has a 12 month low of $118.15 and a 12 month high of $291.09. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $186.35 and its 200 day moving average is $173.80. The company has a current ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31.
Accenture announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, June 23rd that allows the company to buy back $2.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the information technology services provider to reacquire up to 2.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.
Accenture Increases Dividend
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be paid a dividend of $1.71 per share. This is a positive change from Accenture’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. This represents a $6.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 13th. Accenture’s payout ratio is currently 48.08%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
ACN has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Mizuho boosted their price objective on Accenture from $226.00 to $241.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Accenture from $175.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on Accenture from $175.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Guggenheim reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Accenture in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Accenture from $150.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $219.15.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Accenture
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Accenture
A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Signal Advisors Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Accenture during the third quarter valued at approximately $434,000. Copeland Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Accenture by 2,083.3% in the third quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 5,240 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $961,000 after purchasing an additional 5,000 shares during the period. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Accenture by 44.1% in the third quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 3,414 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $626,000 after purchasing an additional 1,044 shares during the period. Krilogy Financial LLC grew its stake in Accenture by 38.6% in the third quarter. Krilogy Financial LLC now owns 7,193 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $1,319,000 after purchasing an additional 2,005 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Forvis Mazars Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in Accenture by 6.3% in the third quarter. Forvis Mazars Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 19,499 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $3,576,000 after purchasing an additional 1,149 shares in the last quarter. 75.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Trending Headlines about Accenture
Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Accenture and Workday launched a forward-deployed engineering program designed to help enterprises implement agentic AI and other advanced solutions more quickly. The initiative could support consulting demand and strengthen Accenture’s role in enterprise AI deployment. Accenture, Workday Launch Forward Deployed Engineering Program
- Positive Sentiment: Accenture agreed to acquire U.K. customer-intelligence firm Sagacity Solutions for Accenture Song’s U.K. and Ireland operations. The deal is expected to expand AI-powered customer analytics and support the company’s broader strategy of using acquisitions to scale AI services. Accenture Acquires Sagacity Solutions
- Positive Sentiment: The company expanded its AI and cybersecurity partnership with Anthropic and deepened its Dell Technologies alliance to support private and sovereign AI infrastructure. These relationships could generate additional large-enterprise and public-sector opportunities. Accenture Deepens AI Push With New Deals
- Positive Sentiment: Recent earnings exceeded consensus estimates, with quarterly revenue up 6.2% year over year, while analysts continue to cite strong bookings, robust free cash flow and a comparatively low valuation as support for the stock. Unusual call-option activity also indicates increased bullish positioning. Accenture Valuation and Market Sentiment
- Neutral Sentiment: Attractive cash-flow and dividend characteristics may support long-term investors, but the unusually high free-cash-flow yield can also signal that the market expects weaker earnings or slower growth ahead. Accenture’s High Cash Yield
- Negative Sentiment: Analysts caution that Accenture’s recent rally has outpaced its underlying growth, while cautious client spending and pricing pressure could limit further upside. Management’s fiscal 2027 outlook calls for only moderate revenue growth.
- Negative Sentiment: COO Catherine Hogan sold 700 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The planned nature and relatively small size reduce its significance, but insider selling can still weigh modestly on sentiment. Accenture Insider Transaction
Accenture Company Profile
Accenture plc (NYSE: ACN) is a global professional services company that helps organizations improve performance, modernize operations and respond to technological and market changes. Its services span strategy and consulting, technology, operations, and managed services, with expertise across industries including communications, financial services, health care, public service, retail, manufacturing and resources.
The company provides digital transformation, cloud migration, data and artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, systems integration and technology implementation services.
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