Accenture (NYSE:ACN) CEO Ryoji Sekido Sells 5,844 Shares of Company Stock

Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) CEO Ryoji Sekido sold 5,844 shares of Accenture stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $244.84, for a total transaction of $1,430,844.96. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,194 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $292,338.96. This trade represents a 83.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Accenture Price Performance

Shares of ACN opened at $259.11 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $194.57 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $175.64. The firm has a market cap of $173.04 billion, a PE ratio of 19.11, a P/E/G ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.11. 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 PLC has a 1-year low of $118.15 and a 1-year high of $291.09.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 1st. The information technology services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (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 company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.03 EPS. Accenture has set its FY 2027 guidance at 14.390-14.810 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Accenture PLC will post 14.68 EPS for the current 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 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 yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 13th. Accenture’s dividend payout ratio is currently 50.44%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Accenture

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ACN. Beaumont Financial Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Accenture by 4.0% during the 3rd quarter. Beaumont Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,989 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $548,000 after buying an additional 114 shares in the last quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. grew its stake in shares of Accenture by 8.3% during the 3rd quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 14,566 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $2,671,000 after acquiring an additional 1,119 shares during the period. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Accenture by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 9,852 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $1,807,000 after acquiring an additional 166 shares in the last quarter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co increased its holdings in Accenture by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co now owns 84,018 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $15,406,000 after acquiring an additional 600 shares in the last quarter. Finally, XXI Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Accenture during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $208,000. 75.14% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have issued reports on ACN. TD Cowen raised their target price on Accenture from $193.00 to $201.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Accenture from $135.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 24th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $242.00 price objective on shares of Accenture in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. BMO Capital Markets set a $235.00 price objective on shares of Accenture in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on shares of Accenture from $136.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, September 18th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Accenture has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $219.52.

Key Accenture News

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture Federal Services is partnering with Google Public Sector to develop Gemini launchpads for U.S. federal agencies. The tools are intended to help government customers integrate generative AI into mission workflows and internal operations, potentially strengthening Accenture’s federal pipeline and AI credentials. What Is Accenture Signaling With Its Federal AI Push and China Review?
• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results exceeded expectations, with earnings of $3.29 per share versus a $3.18 consensus estimate and revenue of $18.68 billion versus $18.03 billion expected. Revenue rose 6.2% year over year, while strong bookings helped drive investor optimism. These 3 Stocks Surged Following Strong Quarterly Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Accenture is reviewing strategic options for its Greater China operations, including a possible divestiture. A sale could simplify the portfolio and reduce geopolitical exposure, but the review also highlights uncertainty around the region.
• Neutral Sentiment: Robert W. Baird reaffirmed its Neutral rating while raising its price target to $252 from $245. The higher target acknowledges recent momentum, but remains below the referenced trading level. Baird Downgrades Accenture to Neutral
• Negative Sentiment: Baird downgraded Accenture from Outperform to Neutral, arguing that shares had nearly doubled from their June low and that the valuation now reflects slower growth prospects. This may limit further upside unless growth accelerates. Accenture Stock Gets Downgraded as the Good News May Already Be Priced In
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Ryoji Sekido sold 5,844 shares worth approximately $1.43 million, reducing his reported ownership by 83%. Insider sales are not necessarily a signal of deteriorating fundamentals, but the transaction can weigh modestly on sentiment.

Accenture Company Profile

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.