Accenture (NYSE:ACN) Given Neutral Rating at Guggenheim

Accenture (NYSE:ACN)‘s stock had its “neutral” rating reaffirmed by investment analysts at Guggenheim in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday, Benzinga reports.

ACN has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Accenture from $175.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday. Citigroup increased their target price on Accenture from $135.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 24th. Evercore set a $250.00 target price on Accenture and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday. Mizuho dropped their price target on Accenture from $280.00 to $226.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $195.00 price objective on Accenture in a report on Tuesday, September 15th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Accenture presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $212.30.

Accenture Stock Up 15.6%

Shares of NYSE:ACN opened at $212.05 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.34, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The firm has a market cap of $141.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.94, a PEG ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 1.11. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $179.87 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $173.46. Accenture has a 12-month low of $118.15 and a 12-month high of $291.09.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last announced 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 net margin of 10.66% and a return on equity of 26.47%. The business had revenue of $18.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.03 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. Accenture has set its FY 2027 guidance at 14.390-14.810 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Accenture will post 13.87 EPS for the current year.

Accenture announced that its board has initiated a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, June 23rd that authorizes the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the information technology services provider to buy up to 2.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity at Accenture

In related news, 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 transaction, the general counsel directly owned 17,735 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,890,450.30. The trade was a 37.18% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.02% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Accenture

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Accenture by 10.4% during 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 acquiring an additional 7,018 shares during the period. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund increased its holdings in shares of Accenture by 6.7% during the fourth quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 74,054 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $19,869,000 after purchasing an additional 4,640 shares during the period. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC raised its stake in shares of Accenture by 72.4% during the second 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 in the last quarter. Bright Rock Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Accenture in the 2nd quarter valued at about $7,466,000. Finally, Dearborn Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Accenture during the 2nd quarter worth about $25,108,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.14% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Accenture

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results exceeded expectations: Fiscal Q4 revenue rose 6.2% year over year to $18.68 billion, above the $18.03 billion consensus estimate, while EPS of $3.29 topped the $3.18 estimate and increased from $3.03 a year earlier. Accenture quarterly earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Record bookings countered AI-disruption fears: Annual bookings reportedly reached $84.5 billion, with quarterly bookings up 4% to $22.17 billion. Management also said its AI workforce had doubled ahead of schedule, suggesting Accenture is benefiting from clients’ AI and digital-transformation spending rather than being displaced by it. CNBC Accenture earnings article
• Positive Sentiment: Fiscal 2027 outlook was broadly supportive: Accenture forecast local-currency revenue growth of 3% to 6%, revenue of $76.4 billion to $78.7 billion and EPS of $14.39 to $14.81. The company also raised its quarterly dividend 4.9% to $1.71 per share, providing a 3.2% indicated yield. Accenture fiscal 2026 results
• Positive Sentiment: Argus upgraded its view: Argus raised its price target from $220 to $260 and initiated a “Buy” rating, citing the company’s AI momentum and growth prospects.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinion remains mixed: Morgan Stanley lifted its target from $175 to $195 but maintained an “Equal Weight” rating, while TD Cowen reiterated a Hold rating with a $173 target. These views suggest some analysts believe the post-earnings rebound has already priced in much of the improvement.
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term guidance was less compelling: Next-quarter revenue guidance of approximately $19.28 billion was slightly below analyst expectations, highlighting the risk that growth may remain moderate despite strong bookings and AI demand.

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.