Jefferies Financial Group Increases Accenture (NYSE:ACN) Price Target to $190.00

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) had its price target raised by equities researchers at Jefferies Financial Group from $130.00 to $190.00 in a research note issued on Tuesday. The firm currently has a “hold” rating on the information technology services provider’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 4.12% from the stock’s current price.

ACN has been the subject of several other research reports. Dbs Bank cut Accenture from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Berenberg Bank cut their target price on Accenture from $273.00 to $220.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 17th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Accenture from $150.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded shares of Accenture from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and set a $194.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $195.00 target price on Accenture in a research report on Tuesday, September 15th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $200.07.

Accenture Stock Down 0.6%

ACN stock opened at $182.47 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $121.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 1.10. Accenture has a 12 month low of $118.15 and a 12 month high of $291.09. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $174.92 and a 200 day moving average price of $174.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 1.34 and a quick ratio of 1.34.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 10,498 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.98, for a total value of $1,710,964.04. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel directly owned 17,735 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,890,450.30. This represents a 37.18% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 0.02% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Accenture

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ACN. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Accenture by 10.4% in the second quarter. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 74,187 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $9,232,000 after purchasing an additional 7,018 shares during the period. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lifted its holdings in shares of Accenture by 6.7% in 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 in the last quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC boosted its position in shares of Accenture by 72.4% in the second quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 19,455 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $2,421,000 after buying an additional 8,169 shares during the period. Bright Rock Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Accenture during the second quarter valued at $7,466,000. Finally, Dearborn Partners LLC acquired a new position in Accenture during the second quarter valued at $25,108,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.14% of the company’s stock.

Key Accenture News

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture and Anthropic announced a strategic AI-safety partnership in which each company expects to invest at least $1 billion over five years. The arrangement could create demand for model testing, safeguards and enterprise AI implementation services, helping position Accenture (ACN) as an AI governance leader. Can Accenture Profit From AI Safety While AI Pressures Its Own Business Model?
• Positive Sentiment: The company launched Accenture Construct, a platform intended to improve delivery of large, complex capital projects. Investors may view the offering as a way to capture spending from infrastructure and other major investment programs while applying AI and automation to a fragmented market. Accenture Launches Accenture Construct
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture is broadening its commercial AI ecosystem through AWS offerings for mid-sized businesses, a Google Cloud relationship and Volvo Cars’ adoption of its Horizon platform for Android Automotive development. These deals support the view that cloud modernization and enterprise AI could offset slower legacy consulting demand. Accenture and AWS Launch AI and Cloud Offerings
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are positioning ahead of Accenture’s quarterly earnings report, with analysts revising expectations and estimates. The results and management’s comments on bookings, margins and AI demand are likely to determine whether the recent rebound can continue. Wall Street Forecasters Revamp Accenture Expectations
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts caution that generative AI may reduce consulting hours, weaken pricing power and pressure margins. Accenture’s valuation has improved after a sharp three-month rebound, potentially limiting near-term upside despite shares remaining well below their 52-week high. AI Is Coming for Consulting, but Accenture Is Fighting Back

About Accenture

Accenture plc is a global professional services company that helps organizations improve business performance through consulting, technology, and managed services. Its offerings include strategy and consulting, technology implementation, operations support, and business process services.

The company provides digital transformation services involving cloud computing, artificial intelligence, data and analytics, cybersecurity, systems integration, and enterprise software. Through its Song and Industry X businesses, Accenture also supports customer experience, marketing, product engineering, and smart manufacturing initiatives.

Accenture serves clients across a broad range of industries, including financial services, health care, public service, communications, media and technology, consumer goods, retail, resources, and industrial markets.