36,053 Shares in Accenture PLC $ACN Acquired by Dearborn Partners LLC

Dearborn Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 36,053 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $4,486,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in ACN. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Accenture during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. McMillan Office Inc. acquired a new position in Accenture in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. purchased a new stake in Accenture during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in Accenture during the third quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new stake in Accenture during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. 75.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 10,498 shares of Accenture stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.98, for a total transaction of $1,710,964.04. Following the sale, the general counsel owned 17,735 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,890,450.30. The trade was a 37.18% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.02% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ACN has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Mizuho reduced their price objective on Accenture from $280.00 to $226.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Dbs Bank downgraded shares of Accenture from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. TD Cowen lifted their price target on shares of Accenture from $151.00 to $173.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Susquehanna decreased their price objective on shares of Accenture from $186.00 to $140.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, Oppenheimer set a $201.00 price objective on shares of Accenture in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $194.19.

Accenture Price Performance

ACN stock opened at $187.18 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $125.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a current ratio of 1.34. Accenture PLC has a 1 year low of $118.15 and a 1 year high of $291.09. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $154.46 and a 200-day simple moving average of $178.24.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, June 19th. The information technology services provider reported $3.80 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.70 by $0.10. Accenture had a return on equity of 26.47% and a net margin of 10.66%.The firm had revenue of $18.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.78 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $3.49 EPS. Accenture’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Accenture PLC will post 13.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Accenture announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, June 23rd that allows the company to buyback $2.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the information technology services provider to purchase up to 2.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Accenture Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 9th were paid a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 9th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.5%. Accenture’s dividend payout ratio is 52.08%.

Trending Headlines about Accenture

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture agreed to acquire COMWARE, a Tokyo technology-services provider serving mid-market companies. The deal adds more than 180 professionals and expertise in SAP, customer relationship management and manufacturing, potentially expanding Accenture’s AI-led services and digital-core transformation business in Japan. Financial terms were not disclosed. Accenture to Acquire COMWARE to Strengthen Accenture Edge and Accelerate Digital Core Reinvention for Mid-Market Companies in Japan
• Positive Sentiment: The acquisition supports Accenture’s strategy of using acquisitions to build industry and regional capabilities, particularly among Japan’s mid-market businesses. Investors may view the transaction as a catalyst for longer-term growth in AI implementation and enterprise modernization services. Accenture to Acquire Japan-Based Comware to Boost Mid-Market AI Services
• Neutral Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its Accenture price target from $151 to $173 but maintained a “Hold” rating. The revised target remains below the stock’s current trading level, signaling that the analyst sees limited near-term upside despite the higher valuation estimate. Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: Accenture recently underperformed the broader market, closing a session at $181.38 after a 2.97% decline. The move indicates continuing sensitivity to valuation, technology-sector sentiment and concerns about the pace at which AI investments translate into revenue and earnings. Accenture Falls More Steeply Than Broader Market

Accenture Profile

Accenture is a global professional services company that provides a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. The firm works with organizations across industries to design and implement business transformation programs, deploy and manage enterprise technology, optimize operations, and develop customer and digital experiences. Its offerings encompass management and technology consulting, systems integration, application and infrastructure services, cloud migration and managed services, as well as security and analytics capabilities.

The company delivers industry- and function-specific solutions, combining consulting expertise with proprietary tools, platforms and partnerships with major technology vendors.