Accenture PLC $ACN Stock: Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund Increases Position

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lifted its stake in Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) by 6.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 115,057 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,957 shares during the period. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund’s holdings in Accenture were worth $21,098,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ACN. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Accenture by 147.1% in the second quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 215 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Accenture by 134.8% during the 1st quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 155 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Foresight Capital Management Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Accenture in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Signature Equity Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Accenture by 50.9% in the 3rd quarter. Signature Equity Partners LLC now owns 172 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares during the period. Finally, Arlington Trust Co LLC increased its stake 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 purchasing an additional 149 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.14% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on ACN shares. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Accenture from $175.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus set a $242.00 target price on shares of Accenture in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of Accenture from $193.00 to $201.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on shares of Accenture from $136.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, September 18th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Accenture from $150.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $221.07.

Accenture Stock Up 1.8%

ACN opened at $258.82 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.43, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The firm has a market cap of $152.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.09, a PEG ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 1.01. Accenture PLC has a 52 week low of $118.15 and a 52 week high of $291.09. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $213.02 and its 200 day simple moving average is $191.64.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last posted 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. Accenture had a return on equity of 26.53% and a net margin of 11.28%. The firm had revenue of $18.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.03 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.03 EPS. The firm’s quarterly 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. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Accenture PLC will post 14.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Accenture Increases Dividend

The company 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 dividend of $1.71 per share. This represents a $6.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. This is a boost from Accenture’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 13th. Accenture’s payout ratio is presently 50.44%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Accenture

In related news, CEO Atsushi Egawa sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $270.00, for a total transaction of $2,700,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 5,996 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,618,920. This trade represents a 62.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Melissa A. Burgum sold 811 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $202,750.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 9,820 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,455,000. This trade represents a 7.63% decrease in their position. 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. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 18,675 shares of company stock valued at $4,747,563. Corporate insiders own 0.02% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Accenture

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture is working with Qantas to modernize its operations, providing evidence of continued demand for its transformation services. Qantas said the program will involve cutting 850 jobs over the coming years; the reductions are at Qantas, not Accenture. Reuters: Australia’s Qantas to axe 850 jobs in offshoring deal with Accenture
• Positive Sentiment: A WSIB digital modernization project involving Accenture reduced employer registration from eight to ten business days to under ten minutes. The result offers a concrete example of Accenture’s ability to deliver cloud-based transformation and could help support future client sales. Ontario WSIB project announcement
• Positive Sentiment: U.S. management and technical consulting employment rose by 17,300 in October, its biggest monthly increase since December 2024. The gain may indicate improving demand for consulting services, although it does not guarantee higher spending at Accenture. The Overlooked AI Trade Hiding in a Beaten-Down Corner of the Market
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent comparisons describe Accenture as a large, profitable company with strong cash generation, but note that its revenue has fluctuated while some software peers have shown steadier growth. These comparisons highlight competitive strengths and trade-offs rather than a new change in the company’s outlook. Accenture vs. Adobe comparison
• Neutral Sentiment: The Qantas job cuts may draw scrutiny because the modernization arrangement includes offshoring, though the reporting does not indicate a direct financial or operational cost to Accenture. Qantas to Cut 850 Jobs After Tech Deal With Accenture

About Accenture

Accenture plc is a global professional services company that helps businesses, governments and other organizations solve operational and technology challenges. Its work includes strategy and management consulting, digital transformation, systems integration and the design, implementation and management of technology solutions. The company serves clients across a broad range of industries and geographies. Its services span cloud computing, data and artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, software and platforms, business process operations, and digital marketing and customer experience.