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

United Asset Strategies Inc. raised its stake in Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) by 404.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor 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 quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Accenture by 147.1% in the second quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 215 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 128 shares during the period. IMG Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in Accenture by 134.8% in the first quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 155 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Foresight Capital Management Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Accenture in the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Arlington Trust Co LLC lifted its position in Accenture by 110.4% during the second quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC now owns 284 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 149 shares during the period. Finally, S&G Foundation bought a new stake in Accenture during the second quarter worth about $37,000. 75.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Accenture Stock Performance

Shares of Accenture stock opened at $247.05 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $201.23 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $192.55. The firm has a market capitalization 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. Accenture PLC has a fifty-two week low of $118.15 and a fifty-two 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) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 1st. The information technology services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.18 by $0.11. Accenture had a net margin of 11.28% and a return on equity of 26.53%. The company had revenue of $18.68 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.03 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Accenture has set its FY 2027 guidance at 14.390-14.810 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Accenture PLC will post 14.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Accenture Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be issued a $1.71 dividend. This represents a $6.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 13th. This is a boost from Accenture’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. Accenture’s payout ratio is currently 50.44%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Melissa A. Burgum sold 811 shares of Accenture stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $202,750.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 9,820 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,455,000. This trade represents a 7.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Julie Sweet purchased 12,200 shares of Accenture stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 48,910 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,031,370.90. The trade was a 33.23% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 8,675 shares of company stock worth $2,047,563. Company insiders own 0.02% of the company’s stock.

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.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ACN has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus set a $242.00 target price on shares of Accenture in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Susquehanna upped their price target on shares of Accenture from $210.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, October 15th. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of Accenture from $193.00 to $201.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Wolfe Research increased their price target on shares of Accenture from $165.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of Accenture from $226.00 to $241.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $221.07.

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.