Accenture (NYSE:ACN) COO Catherine Kiernan Hogan Sells 1,320 Shares of Company Stock

Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) COO Catherine Hogan sold 1,320 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total transaction of $264,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 12,556 shares in the company, valued at $2,511,200. This trade represents a 9.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Accenture Trading Up 0.0%

ACN opened at $208.39 on Friday. Accenture PLC has a one year low of $118.15 and a one year high of $291.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a current ratio of 1.43. The stock has a market cap of $139.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.37, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 1.11. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $184.52 and its 200-day moving average price is $173.68.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 1st. The information technology services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.18 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $18.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.03 billion. Accenture had a return on equity of 26.53% and a net margin of 11.28%. Accenture’s revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.03 EPS. 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 EPS for the current year.

Accenture Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be issued a $1.71 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 13th. This is a boost from Accenture’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. This represents a $6.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.3%. Accenture’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 48.08%.

Accenture declared that its board has approved a share buyback program on Tuesday, June 23rd that authorizes the company to buy back $2.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the information technology services provider to buy up to 2.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Trending Headlines about Accenture

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture’s fiscal fourth-quarter results exceeded expectations, with adjusted EPS of $3.29 versus the $3.18 consensus and revenue of $18.68 billion versus estimates of $18.03 billion. Revenue increased 6.2% year over year, helping drive the recent rally. Accenture Could Be 30% Undervalued
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentators increasingly view Accenture as an undervalued artificial-intelligence and enterprise-services beneficiary. The company’s AI-related work and enterprise momentum could convert elevated AI spending into longer-term revenue growth. Is Accenture the Market’s Most Overlooked AI Play?
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture increased its dividend by 4.91%, signaling continued confidence in cash generation. One dividend-focused analysis rated ACN highly and estimated substantial upside to fair value, although the increase was below the company’s five-year dividend-growth rate. Dividend Announcements
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Accenture as a strong momentum stock, reflecting improving price performance and investor interest following the earnings beat. Why Accenture Is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Investors continue to monitor whether AI-driven efficiency and pricing pressure could reduce fees for consulting work. Management acknowledged lower pricing in several areas during the quarter, creating a potential risk to margins and future growth. What Would It Take for AI Price Cuts to Break Accenture Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: COO Catherine Hogan sold 1,320 shares for approximately $264,000 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The transaction reduced her holdings by 9.51%, but its scheduled nature limits its significance as a bearish signal.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on ACN. William Blair cut shares of Accenture from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of Accenture from $226.00 to $241.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on Accenture from $175.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Argus increased their price objective on Accenture from $220.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company restated a “reduce” rating on shares of Accenture in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $219.15.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Accenture

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ACN. jvl associates llc boosted its stake in shares of Accenture by 5.8% during the third quarter. jvl associates llc now owns 4,239 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $777,000 after purchasing an additional 232 shares in the last quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. lifted its holdings in Accenture by 5.3% during the third quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. now owns 91,990 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $16,868,000 after buying an additional 4,637 shares during the period. Stokes Capital Advisors LLC boosted its position in Accenture by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Stokes Capital Advisors LLC now owns 20,597 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $3,777,000 after acquiring an additional 215 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its holdings in shares of Accenture by 3.1% in the 3rd quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 113,209 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $20,759,000 after acquiring an additional 3,357 shares during the period. Finally, GK Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Accenture in the 3rd quarter worth $130,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.14% of the company’s stock.

About Accenture

Accenture plc (NYSE: ACN) is a global professional services company that helps organizations improve performance, modernize operations and respond to technological and market changes. Its services span strategy and consulting, technology, operations, and managed services, with expertise across industries including communications, financial services, health care, public service, retail, manufacturing and resources.

The company provides digital transformation, cloud migration, data and artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, systems integration and technology implementation services.