Accenture (NYSE:ACN) CAO Melissa Burgum Sells 811 Shares of Stock
by Sarita Garza · The Markets DailyAccenture PLC (NYSE:ACN – Get Free Report) CAO Melissa Burgum sold 811 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $202,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 9,820 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,455,000. The trade was a 7.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.
Accenture Stock Up 7.8%
Shares of ACN stock opened at $259.11 on Friday. Accenture PLC has a 1-year low of $118.15 and a 1-year high of $291.09. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $194.57 and its 200 day moving average price is $175.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.34. The company has a market cap of $173.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.11.
Accenture (NYSE:ACN – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 1st. The information technology services provider reported $3.29 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.18 by $0.11. Accenture had a return on equity of 26.53% and a net margin of 11.28%. The company had revenue of $18.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.03 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.03 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue 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, 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 declared 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. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 13th. 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 2.6%. Accenture’s payout ratio is presently 50.44%.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several equities analysts recently commented on ACN shares. BMO Capital Markets set a $235.00 price objective on shares of Accenture in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. UBS Group set a $278.00 target price on shares of Accenture in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $242.00 price target on shares of Accenture in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Accenture from $175.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price target on shares of Accenture from $150.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $219.52.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on ACN
Accenture News Roundup
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.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ACN. IMG Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Accenture by 134.8% during the first quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 155 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the period. Whipplewood Advisors LLC boosted its position in Accenture by 57.9% in the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 210 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Accenture by 147.1% in the 2nd quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 215 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 128 shares during the period. Kennebec Savings Bank lifted its stake in Accenture by 38.0% during the 1st quarter. Kennebec Savings Bank now owns 218 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares during the period. Finally, Global Assets Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Accenture in the 1st quarter valued at $44,000. 75.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
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.
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