Professional Advisory Services Inc. Has $19.31 Million Stake in Accenture PLC $ACN

Professional Advisory Services Inc. boosted its position in Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) by 38.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 71,977 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 20,045 shares during the period. Accenture accounts for about 2.5% of Professional Advisory Services Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. Professional Advisory Services Inc.’s holdings in Accenture were worth $19,311,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Board of the Pension Protection Fund acquired a new stake in Accenture during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Investors Research Corp grew its stake in shares of Accenture by 73.8% in the third quarter. Investors Research Corp now owns 106 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in Accenture by 132.6% in the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 107 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new position in Accenture during the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Davis Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Accenture in the third quarter valued at about $28,000. 75.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Accenture

In related news, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 1,332 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $275.00, for a total value of $366,300.00. Following the transaction, the general counsel owned 28,207 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,756,925. This represents a 4.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO John F. Walsh sold 3,986 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $276.38, for a total value of $1,101,650.68. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 27,221 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,523,339.98. This trade represents a 12.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 22,088 shares of company stock valued at $5,970,434. Corporate insiders own 0.02% of the company’s stock.

Accenture News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture Federal Services won a NOAA contract to modernize the National Weather Service’s AWIPS into NWS HIVE — a mission‑critical, multi‑year federal engagement that supports backlog and stable government revenue streams. Accenture Federal Services Wins NOAA Contract
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture continues to expand its AI capabilities: announced an investment in DaVinci Commerce to advance agentic AI commerce (supports future revenue growth in retail digital transformation). Accenture Invests in DaVinci Commerce
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture partnered with Microsoft to deploy agentic AI for enhanced digital security — another strategic tie to hyperscalers that can deepen client engagements and recurring cloud/AI revenue. Accenture Partners with Microsoft
• Positive Sentiment: Recent Q2 results beat consensus (sales and EPS) and management provided an updated fiscal‑2026 outlook; analysts cite the earnings beat alongside expanded AI deals when assessing longer‑term growth. Valuation Check After Q2 Earnings Beat
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks and other outlets reiterate Accenture’s long‑term growth case (strong secular demand for digital and AI services), which supports buy‑and‑hold investors but doesn’t remove near‑term volatility. Zacks Long-Term Growth Case
• Neutral Sentiment: Mizuho trimmed its price target from $309 to $280 but maintained an “outperform” rating — a mixed signal (still bullish, but less upside than before). Mizuho Lowers Target but Keeps Outperform
• Negative Sentiment: Several sell‑side firms cut price targets this week (Guggenheim, RBC, BMO, Robert W. Baird), applying near‑term downward pressure on the stock despite the company’s operational wins. Guggenheim Cuts PT RBC Cuts PT BMO Cuts PT Baird Cuts PT
• Negative Sentiment: Technicals and valuation are weighing on the stock: ACN is trading below its 50‑ and 200‑day moving averages and near its 12‑month low, which can trigger short‑term selling and reduce momentum for momentum‑sensitive funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on ACN. Mizuho lowered their price target on shares of Accenture from $309.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday. BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on shares of Accenture from $300.00 to $230.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 20th. Guggenheim decreased their price target on Accenture from $275.00 to $250.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 20th. Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their price target on Accenture from $205.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Susquehanna increased their price target on Accenture from $270.00 to $277.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 19th. Eighteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $274.88.

Accenture Stock Performance

ACN stock opened at $193.35 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The firm has a market cap of $119.03 billion, a PE ratio of 15.84, a P/E/G ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 1.27. The business has a 50 day moving average of $231.09 and a 200-day moving average of $245.83. Accenture PLC has a 12-month low of $187.00 and a 12-month high of $325.71.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 19th. The information technology services provider reported $2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.80 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.82 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Accenture PLC will post 12.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Accenture Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be given a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. Accenture’s payout ratio is currently 53.40%.

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.