Accenture (NYSE:ACN) Given New $253.00 Price Target at Royal Bank Of Canada

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) had its price target lowered by Royal Bank Of Canada from $295.00 to $253.00 in a report published on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the information technology services provider’s stock.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $330.00 price objective on shares of Accenture in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Berenberg Bank initiated coverage on shares of Accenture in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $313.00 target price for the company. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $300.00 price target on shares of Accenture in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Guggenheim decreased their price target on shares of Accenture from $275.00 to $250.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on Accenture from $266.00 to $215.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Eighteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $276.00.

Accenture Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ACN opened at $200.41 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $123.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.41, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a quick ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. Accenture has a 52 week low of $187.00 and a 52 week high of $325.71. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $234.38 and a 200-day simple moving average of $246.75.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last released its earnings results on Thursday, March 19th. The information technology services provider reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.84 by $0.09. Accenture had a return on equity of 26.33% and a net margin of 10.61%.The firm had revenue of $18.04 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.80 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.82 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Accenture will post 12.73 EPS for the current year.

Accenture Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 9th will be issued a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.3%. Accenture’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 53.40%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Accenture

In related news, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 1,332 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $275.00, for a total transaction of $366,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel directly owned 28,207 shares in the company, valued at $7,756,925. This represents a 4.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Julie Spellman Sweet sold 6,057 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $241.23, for a total value of $1,461,130.11. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 15,255 shares in the company, valued at $3,679,963.65. The trade was a 28.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 22,088 shares of company stock worth $5,970,434. 0.02% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ACN. Purpose Unlimited Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Accenture during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $8,206,000. Stance Capital LLC bought a new position in Accenture in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,387,000. Osbon Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Accenture in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $79,000. World Investment Advisors raised its stake in Accenture by 9.5% during the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 30,677 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $8,231,000 after acquiring an additional 2,657 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Meadowbrook Advisors Group LLC acquired a new position in Accenture during the 4th quarter worth $742,000. Institutional investors own 75.14% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Accenture

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 beat and record bookings — Accenture reported EPS and revenue above expectations and said bookings remain strong, driven by AI and cloud demand; that underpins longer-term growth potential. BusinessWire: Q2 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic partnerships and product wins — New collaborations (notably with Microsoft on agentic security) and ongoing AI initiatives support deal pipeline and cross-sell opportunities. BusinessWire: Microsoft Collaboration
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns — Board announced a quarterly dividend (ex-dividend April 9) reinforcing cash return policy and yielding ~3.2%, which can support investor demand for the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: Selective analyst upgrades — HSBC moved to “hold” with a $220 target and a few firms maintain outperform/buy ratings even as they trim targets; sentiment among sell‑side analysts is mixed. Finviz: HSBC Upgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple price-target cuts — Several brokers trimmed targets (BMO to $230, RBC to $253, Guggenheim to $250, Robert W. Baird to $265) after the quarter, increasing near‑term downside perception despite differing ratings. Benzinga: Analyst Moves TickerReport
• Negative Sentiment: Cautious revenue outlook — Management’s near-term revenue guidance came in below some Street expectations and the company warned of client caution on large IT transformation spending, which is the key driver of today’s weakness. Reuters: Revenue Forecast
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downward revisions and stock reaction — Several analysts cut earnings/forecasts after the print and the stock is declining on higher-than-normal volume, reflecting profit‑taking and concern about near‑term execution and AI disruption risks. Benzinga: Forecast Cuts

About Accenture

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.