Jefferies Financial Group Inc. increased its position in Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN – Free Report) by 261.2% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 126,100 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 91,186 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Accenture were worth $23,123,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ACN. Flossbach Von Storch SE purchased a new position in Accenture during the 2nd quarter valued at about $309,873,000. First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of Accenture by 120.0% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,482,150 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $690,475,000 after purchasing an additional 1,899,305 shares during the period. Pzena Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Accenture by 17.7% in the third quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 6,054,682 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $1,110,247,000 after purchasing an additional 912,506 shares in the last quarter. Artemis Investment Management LLP lifted its position in shares of Accenture by 67.6% in the third quarter. Artemis Investment Management LLP now owns 2,196,789 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $402,825,000 after purchasing an additional 885,687 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. lifted its position in shares of Accenture by 319.2% in the third quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 1,001,809 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $183,702,000 after purchasing an additional 762,827 shares in the last quarter. 75.14% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Accenture Stock Down 2.0%
Shares of Accenture stock opened at $253.46 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $149.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.01. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $214.33 and a 200-day simple moving average of $191.50. Accenture PLC has a 52-week low of $118.15 and a 52-week high of $291.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.43.
Accenture (NYSE:ACN – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 1st. The information technology services provider reported $3.29 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.18 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $18.68 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.03 billion. Accenture had a return on equity of 26.53% and a net margin of 11.28%. The firm’s revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $3.03 earnings per share. Accenture has set its FY 2027 guidance at 14.390-14.810 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Accenture PLC will post 14.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Accenture Increases Dividend
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be given a $1.71 dividend. This is a positive change from Accenture’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. This represents a $6.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 13th. Accenture’s payout ratio is presently 50.44%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
ACN has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group set a $278.00 price objective on shares of Accenture in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Accenture from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Argus increased their target price on shares of Accenture from $220.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus set a $242.00 target price on shares of Accenture in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of Accenture from $193.00 to $201.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $221.07.
View Our Latest Stock Report on ACN
Insider Buying and Selling
In other Accenture news, CEO Julie Sweet purchased 12,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 26th. The shares were bought at an average price of $245.99 per share, for a total transaction of $3,001,078.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 48,910 shares in the company, valued at $12,031,370.90. This trade represents a 33.23% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Atsushi Egawa sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $270.00, for a total transaction of $2,700,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 5,996 shares in the company, valued at $1,618,920. This represents a 62.52% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders sold 18,675 shares of company stock valued at $4,747,563. 0.02% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Top Accenture Stories
Investors following ACN have been watching these stories:
- Positive Sentiment: An Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board digital overhaul led by Accenture reportedly reduced employer registration time from days to under ten minutes. This concrete client outcome may help support the case for demand for its services. Accenture WSIB win article
- Positive Sentiment: U.S. management and technical consulting employment rose by 17,300 in October, its biggest monthly increase since December 2024. The hiring data offers a favorable signal for demand across the consulting sector, though it does not establish Accenture’s own growth. The Overlooked AI Trade article
- Neutral Sentiment: Recent comparisons with Palo Alto Networks, Adobe, Intuit and Cognizant emphasize Accenture’s scale, client base and cash generation, while noting that some peers have stronger growth or may look more attractive to investors. These comparisons could shape sentiment but are not new company results. Accenture vs. Palo Alto Networks article
Accenture Company Profile
Accenture plc is a global professional services company that helps businesses, governments and other organizations solve operational and technology challenges. Its work includes strategy and management consulting, digital transformation, systems integration and the design, implementation and management of technology solutions. The company serves clients across a broad range of industries and geographies. Its services span cloud computing, data and artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, software and platforms, business process operations, and digital marketing and customer experience.
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