Stack Financial Management Inc Cuts Stake in Accenture PLC $ACN

Stack Financial Management Inc lessened its holdings in Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) by 97.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,124 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock after selling 133,747 shares during the quarter. Stack Financial Management Inc’s holdings in Accenture were worth $770,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Investors Research Corp grew its stake in shares of Accenture by 73.8% in the 3rd 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. boosted its stake in Accenture by 132.6% in the 3rd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 107 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period. Davis Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Accenture in the third quarter worth $28,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in Accenture by 146.0% during the 3rd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 123 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Heartwood Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Accenture in the third quarter worth approximately $32,000. 75.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have weighed in on ACN shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Accenture from $251.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Dbs Bank raised Accenture from a “hold” rating to a “moderate buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $300.00 price objective on Accenture in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price target on shares of Accenture from $205.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, HSBC lifted their price target on shares of Accenture from $215.00 to $235.00 in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Accenture presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $298.38.

Accenture News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results and guidance support growth expectations — Accenture beat revenue and EPS estimates for the last quarter and reiterated FY‑2026 EPS guidance (13.52–13.90), which underpins valuation and long‑term earnings visibility. Earnings & guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Berenberg initiated coverage bullishly, citing Accenture’s AI advantage — fresh analyst support tied to GenAI momentum can attract buyers focused on secular growth in AI consulting and services. Berenberg initiation
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary and industry writeups highlight M&A optionality, liquidity and GenAI positioning — narrative pieces (Zacks, Yahoo) are keeping investor interest elevated and support medium‑term upside. Zacks trending
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend continues to support income investors — a recently declared quarterly dividend sustains cash‑return appeal. Dividend announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Deutsche Bank raised its price target to $280 but kept a Hold — a small PT lift that stops short of a full upgrade and signals mixed conviction from some institutional analysts. Deutsche Bank PT
• Neutral Sentiment: Consensus remains mixed (Moderate Buy with mid‑$200s–$300s average target) — implies upside but also differing analyst views that can mute big intraday rallies. MarketBeat consensus
• Negative Sentiment: Clustered insider selling by several senior executives (CEO, CAO, COO, General Counsel) — multiple Form 4 filings and recent sales increase perceived near‑term supply and can spook momentum traders and short‑term holders. Insider sales
• Negative Sentiment: Large, synchronous executive sales reduce perceived insider conviction and may amplify downward pressure while headline momentum persists. CEO Form 4

Insider Buying and Selling at Accenture

In other Accenture news, CEO Julie Spellman Sweet sold 1,694 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $288.30, for a total transaction of $488,380.20. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 37,346 shares in the company, valued at $10,766,851.80. This represents a 4.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, COO Catherine Kiernan Hogan sold 660 shares of Accenture stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.93, for a total value of $185,413.80. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 12,688 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,564,439.84. The trade was a 4.94% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 21,934 shares of company stock worth $5,965,166. Company insiders own 0.02% of the company’s stock.

Accenture Price Performance

Accenture stock opened at $270.45 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $166.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.35, a P/E/G ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a quick ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $269.88 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $258.09. Accenture PLC has a 52 week low of $229.40 and a 52 week high of $398.35.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 18th. The information technology services provider reported $3.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.73 by $0.21. Accenture had a net margin of 10.76% and a return on equity of 26.65%. The business had revenue of $18.74 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.51 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $3.59 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Accenture has set its FY 2026 guidance at 13.520-13.900 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Accenture PLC will post 12.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Accenture Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Tuesday, January 13th will be issued a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 13th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. Accenture’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 53.88%.

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.