Woodley Farra Manion Portfolio Management Inc. Sells 8,583 Shares of Accenture PLC $ACN

Woodley Farra Manion Portfolio Management Inc. reduced its position in shares of Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) by 3.4% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 242,880 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock after selling 8,583 shares during the quarter. Accenture comprises 2.2% of Woodley Farra Manion Portfolio Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest holding. Woodley Farra Manion Portfolio Management Inc.’s holdings in Accenture were worth $44,537,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Euro Pacific Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Accenture by 11.2% during the 3rd quarter. Euro Pacific Asset Management LLC now owns 117,589 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $21,562,000 after acquiring an additional 11,873 shares during the last quarter. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Accenture by 10.4% in the 2nd quarter. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 74,187 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $9,232,000 after purchasing an additional 7,018 shares in the last quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel increased its position in shares of Accenture by 63.5% during the 3rd quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel now owns 26,565 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $4,871,000 after purchasing an additional 10,322 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC increased its position in shares of Accenture by 72.4% during the 2nd quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 19,455 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $2,421,000 after purchasing an additional 8,169 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dearborn Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Accenture during the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,108,000. 75.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Argus increased their target price on shares of Accenture from $220.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus set a $242.00 price target on shares of Accenture in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Truist Financial raised their price objective on Accenture from $150.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. BMO Capital Markets set a $235.00 price objective on Accenture in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Accenture in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Accenture presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $221.07.

Accenture Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ACN opened at $258.82 on Wednesday. Accenture PLC has a 1-year low of $118.15 and a 1-year 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 1.43. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $213.02 and a 200-day moving average price of $191.64. The company has a market capitalization of $152.97 billion, a PE ratio of 19.09, a PEG ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 1.01.

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

Accenture Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be paid a dividend of $1.71 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 13th. This represents a $6.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. This is a positive change from Accenture’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. Accenture’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 50.44%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Accenture news, Director Paula Price purchased 800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 26th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $249.81 per share, for a total transaction of $199,848.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 9,361 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,338,471.41. This trade represents a 9.34% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Ryoji Sekido sold 5,844 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $244.84, for a total value of $1,430,844.96. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,194 shares in the company, valued at approximately $292,338.96. The trade was a 83.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 18,675 shares of company stock worth $4,747,563. 0.02% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Trending Headlines about 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

Accenture Company Profile

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.