Accenture (NYSE:ACN) Price Target Raised to $240.00

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) had its price objective hoisted by Royal Bank Of Canada from $175.00 to $240.00 in a research note released on Friday, Marketbeat.com reports. Royal Bank Of Canada currently has an outperform rating on the information technology services provider’s stock.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the company. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Accenture from $150.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Weiss Ratings lowered Accenture from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Robert W. Baird set a $245.00 target price on shares of Accenture in a research note on Thursday. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Accenture from $135.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 24th. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price target on shares of Accenture from $173.00 to $193.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Accenture has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $218.59.

Accenture Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ACN opened at $199.17 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $180.91 and a two-hundred day moving average of $173.46. Accenture 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 1.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $133.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.11.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 1st. The information technology services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.18 by $0.11. Accenture had a return on equity of 26.53% and a net margin of 11.28%.The business had revenue of $18.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.03 EPS. 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, equities research analysts predict that Accenture will post 14.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Accenture declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Tuesday, June 23rd that authorizes the company to buyback $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the information technology services provider to reacquire up to 2.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Accenture Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors 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 dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 13th. Accenture’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 48.08%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Accenture news, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 10,498 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.98, for a total value of $1,710,964.04. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel owned 17,735 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,890,450.30. This trade represents a 37.18% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.02% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Accenture

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Accenture by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 28,264,675 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $7,583,462,000 after purchasing an additional 129,610 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors lifted its holdings in Accenture by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 17,471,554 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $4,687,867,000 after buying an additional 343,420 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in Accenture by 15.9% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 8,173,338 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $2,192,907,000 after buying an additional 1,122,855 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its position in Accenture by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 5,393,818 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $1,447,161,000 after buying an additional 63,760 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in shares of Accenture by 2.2% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 6,531,231 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $1,295,078,000 after buying an additional 143,483 shares during the period. 75.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Accenture

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong quarterly beat: Fiscal fourth-quarter revenue rose 6.2% year over year to $18.68 billion, exceeding the $18.03 billion consensus estimate, while EPS of $3.29 topped expectations of $3.18. Accenture fiscal fourth-quarter earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Bookings eased AI-disruption fears: Quarterly bookings reached $22.17 billion, up 4%, contributing to record fiscal-year bookings of approximately $84.5 billion. Management said AI demand is broadening into fiscal 2027, supported by large-scale reinvention projects and managed services. Accenture Q4 earnings call and AI demand
• Positive Sentiment: Constructive fiscal 2027 outlook: Accenture forecast 3%–6% revenue growth in local currency, a 15.9%–16.1% operating margin and $14.39–$14.81 in EPS. The company also plans roughly $5 billion of acquisitions, signaling continued investment in growth. Accenture fiscal 2027 outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst target increases: Argus raised its target to $260 with a Buy rating, while RBC lifted its target to $240 and upgraded the stock to Outperform. Truist also raised its target to $220, though it retained a Hold rating.
• Positive Sentiment: Higher shareholder returns: Accenture increased its quarterly dividend 4.9% to $1.71 per share, or $6.84 annually, representing a yield of about 3.4%.

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.