Ellsworth Advisors LLC Purchases 10,664 Shares of Accenture PLC $ACN

Ellsworth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 10,664 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,955,000.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in ACN. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Accenture by 147.1% during the second 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. IMG Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in Accenture by 134.8% in the 1st quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 155 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC grew its holdings in Accenture by 110.4% in the 2nd quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC now owns 284 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 149 shares during the period. S&G Foundation purchased a new stake in Accenture in the 2nd quarter valued at about $37,000. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Accenture by 57.9% during the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 210 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.14% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Accenture

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture outlined a three-year framework targeting at least mid-single-digit revenue growth, with potential acceleration through fiscal 2029. RBC said artificial intelligence is becoming a net demand driver, supporting expectations for stronger consulting and technology-services bookings. Accenture Sees AI as Net Demand Driver
• Positive Sentiment: Expanded alliances with Dell Technologies, Workday and Anthropic, along with the acquisition of Sagacity Solutions, reinforce Accenture’s strategy of helping enterprises deploy agentic AI, private AI infrastructure and AI-powered customer analytics. These initiatives could increase demand for consulting, implementation and managed services. Accenture AI Deals and Dividend Hike
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture raised its quarterly dividend to $1.71 per share from $1.63, equivalent to an annualized $6.84 payout and an approximately 3.2% yield. The company also has an authorized $2 billion share-repurchase program, improving shareholder returns and signaling confidence in the valuation.
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s latest quarterly results exceeded estimates, with earnings of $3.29 per share and revenue of $18.68 billion, up 6.2% year over year. Strong cash flow, bookings and a relatively modest valuation remain additional supports for the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: Susquehanna raised its price target to $230 from $210 but kept a neutral rating. TD Cowen also lifted its target, to $201 from $193, while retaining a hold rating. The mixed recommendations suggest analysts see improved prospects but limited near-term upside after the rally. Accenture Trending Stock Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned that cautious client spending, pricing pressure, acquisition dependence and execution risk could limit growth. Some commentary also argues that the recent rally has outpaced Accenture’s underlying fundamentals.
• Negative Sentiment: COO Catherine Hogan sold 700 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The transaction was relatively small and planned in advance, but it may modestly weigh on sentiment. Accenture Insider Transaction

Accenture Price Performance

ACN stock opened at $224.84 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $150.15 billion, a PE ratio of 16.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.77 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. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $188.31 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $174.15. Accenture PLC has a 12-month low of $118.15 and a 12-month high of $291.09.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 1st. The information technology services provider reported $3.29 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.18 by $0.11. The company 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 quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. As a group, research analysts predict that Accenture PLC will post 14.68 EPS for the current year.

Accenture announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Tuesday, June 23rd that allows the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the information technology services provider to buy up to 2.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Share buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Accenture Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be given a dividend of $1.71 per share. This is a boost from Accenture’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 13th. This represents a $6.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. Accenture’s dividend payout ratio is currently 50.44%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Accenture news, COO Catherine Hogan sold 700 shares of Accenture stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $214.24, for a total transaction of $149,968.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 11,856 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,540,029.44. The trade was a 5.58% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 10,498 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 30th. The stock was 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 approximately $2,890,450.30. This represents a 37.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders have sold 12,518 shares of company stock valued at $2,124,932. Corporate insiders own 0.02% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group set a $278.00 price objective on shares of Accenture in a report on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Accenture from $230.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 1st. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Accenture from $175.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Accenture in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Accenture from $193.00 to $201.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Accenture currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $219.26.

Accenture Company Profile

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.