Accenture (NYSE:ACN) Sets New 1-Year Low – Here’s What Happened

Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN)’s share price hit a new 52-week low on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $196.09 and last traded at $196.5420, with a volume of 11118398 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $201.18.

Key Headlines Impacting Accenture

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS views the selloff as a buying opportunity, highlighting Accenture’s AI exposure and long-term growth potential from accelerating enterprise AI adoption. Accenture offers AI opportunity after selloff, UBS says
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture agreed to acquire Verum Partners to strengthen capital‑projects and infrastructure capabilities in Latin America — a targeted tuck‑in that can expand local client access and billable work. Accenture to Acquire Verum Partners, Expanding its Capital Projects Capabilities in Latin America
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture’s multi‑year alliances with OpenAI and other firms and its push to embed AI into promotions signal durable positioning to capture enterprise AI spending — a structural revenue opportunity if execution holds. Accenture’s OpenAI Alliances Test AI Execution As Stock Faces Pressure
• Neutral Sentiment: Forbes frames the pullback as a potential entry point toward a $260 target but notes near‑term pressures in discretionary consulting and IT budgets — useful context for longer‑term investors assessing risk vs. reward. Accenture Stock’s Road To $260
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and retail interest are rising (Zacks notes ACN as a trending stock), which can increase volatility but also liquidity around any new catalysts. Accenture PLC (ACN) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Neutral Sentiment: Management created a new Chief Communications Officer role to better shape the AI narrative and investor communications — helpful for perception but not an immediate revenue driver. Accenture plc (ACN) Stock Attractive Again After Pullback Amid New CCO Announcement
• Negative Sentiment: Sector volatility from competitors and new entrants (e.g., Anthropic’s COBOL AI tool) has pressured IT/consulting stocks — IBM’s sharp drop dragged peers lower and contributed to selling in Accenture. IBM stock tumbles 10% after Anthropic launches COBOL AI tool
• Negative Sentiment: News roundups reporting the share decline and investor reassessment (MSN/Yahoo summaries) amplify negative sentiment and momentum selling in the near term. Accenture (ACN) stock sinks as market gains: What you should know

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ACN has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Guggenheim increased their price target on Accenture from $285.00 to $305.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. TD Cowen upped their target price on Accenture from $295.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised their price target on shares of Accenture from $205.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $300.00 price target on shares of Accenture in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, HSBC increased their price objective on shares of Accenture from $215.00 to $235.00 in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $298.38.

Accenture Trading Down 2.3%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 1.41 and a quick ratio of 1.41. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $258.67 and its 200 day simple moving average is $252.80. The stock has a market cap of $120.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.24, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.24.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, December 18th. The information technology services provider reported $3.94 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.73 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $18.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.51 billion. Accenture had a net margin of 10.76% and a return on equity of 26.65%. The firm’s revenue was up 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $3.59 earnings per share. Accenture has set its FY 2026 guidance at 13.520-13.900 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Accenture PLC will post 12.73 EPS for the current year.

Accenture Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Tuesday, January 13th were paid a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, January 13th. Accenture’s dividend payout ratio is presently 53.88%.

Insider Transactions at Accenture

In related news, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 1,026 shares of Accenture stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $281.70, for a total value of $289,024.20. Following the sale, the general counsel directly owned 27,181 shares in the company, valued at $7,656,887.70. This trade represents a 3.64% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Julie Spellman Sweet sold 6,057 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $241.23, for a total transaction of $1,461,130.11. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 15,255 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,679,963.65. This trade represents a 28.42% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 22,088 shares of company stock valued at $5,970,434 over the last three months. 0.02% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Accenture

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. MidFirst Bank bought a new stake in Accenture during the 4th quarter valued at $1,284,000. DGS Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Accenture by 30.8% during the fourth quarter. DGS Capital Management LLC now owns 1,776 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $477,000 after purchasing an additional 418 shares during the period. SG Trading Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of Accenture during the fourth quarter valued at about $998,000. Investment Insight Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Accenture in the fourth quarter worth about $1,401,000. Finally, Wealth Preservation Advisors LLC increased its stake in Accenture by 17.8% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Preservation Advisors LLC now owns 688 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $185,000 after buying an additional 104 shares during the period. 75.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Accenture Company Profile

Accenture is a global professional services company that provides a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. The firm works with organizations across industries to design and implement business transformation programs, deploy and manage enterprise technology, optimize operations, and develop customer and digital experiences. Its offerings encompass management and technology consulting, systems integration, application and infrastructure services, cloud migration and managed services, as well as security and analytics capabilities.

The company delivers industry- and function-specific solutions, combining consulting expertise with proprietary tools, platforms and partnerships with major technology vendors.