Accenture PLC $ACN Shares Acquired by Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P.

Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. increased its position in Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN) by 2.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 113,411 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,851 shares during the period. Accenture comprises about 1.1% of Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest holding. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P.’s holdings in Accenture were worth $20,796,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. TB Alternative Assets Ltd. bought a new position in Accenture during the third quarter valued at approximately $117,000. Michael J. Porro & Co. Financial Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Accenture by 6.4% during the third quarter. Michael J. Porro & Co. Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 6,331 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock worth $1,161,000 after purchasing an additional 379 shares during the period. Goldstein Advisors LLC grew its stake in Accenture by 9.8% in the 3rd quarter. Goldstein Advisors LLC now owns 2,346 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock valued at $430,000 after buying an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. Ellsworth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Accenture in the third quarter valued at about $1,955,000. Finally, Neumann Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Accenture during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,267,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.14% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Accenture

Here are the key news stories impacting Accenture this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Accenture outlined a three-year framework targeting at least mid-single-digit revenue growth, with potential acceleration through fiscal 2029. RBC said artificial intelligence is becoming a net demand driver, supporting expectations for stronger consulting and technology-services bookings. Accenture Sees AI as Net Demand Driver
• Positive Sentiment: Expanded alliances with Dell Technologies, Workday and Anthropic, along with the acquisition of Sagacity Solutions, reinforce Accenture’s strategy of helping enterprises deploy agentic AI, private AI infrastructure and AI-powered customer analytics. These initiatives could increase demand for consulting, implementation and managed services. Accenture AI Deals and Dividend Hike
• Positive Sentiment: Accenture raised its quarterly dividend to $1.71 per share from $1.63, equivalent to an annualized $6.84 payout and an approximately 3.2% yield. The company also has an authorized $2 billion share-repurchase program, improving shareholder returns and signaling confidence in the valuation.
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s latest quarterly results exceeded estimates, with earnings of $3.29 per share and revenue of $18.68 billion, up 6.2% year over year. Strong cash flow, bookings and a relatively modest valuation remain additional supports for the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: Susquehanna raised its price target to $230 from $210 but kept a neutral rating. TD Cowen also lifted its target, to $201 from $193, while retaining a hold rating. The mixed recommendations suggest analysts see improved prospects but limited near-term upside after the rally. Accenture Trending Stock Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned that cautious client spending, pricing pressure, acquisition dependence and execution risk could limit growth. Some commentary also argues that the recent rally has outpaced Accenture’s underlying fundamentals.
• Negative Sentiment: COO Catherine Hogan sold 700 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The transaction was relatively small and planned in advance, but it may modestly weigh on sentiment. Accenture Insider Transaction

Accenture Trading Up 4.6%

Shares of NYSE:ACN opened at $224.84 on Friday. Accenture PLC has a 12-month low of $118.15 and a 12-month high of $291.09. The company has a quick ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The stock has a market cap of $150.15 billion, a PE ratio of 16.58, a P/E/G ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.11. The business has a 50 day moving average of $188.31 and a 200-day moving average of $174.15.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 1st. The information technology services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.18 by $0.11. Accenture had a return on equity of 26.53% and a net margin of 11.28%. The firm had revenue of $18.68 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.03 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Accenture has set its FY 2027 guidance at 14.390-14.810 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Accenture PLC will post 14.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Accenture declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, June 23rd that permits the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the information technology services provider to reacquire up to 2.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Share buyback plans are often a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Accenture Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be issued a $1.71 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 13th. This is a positive change from Accenture’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. This represents a $6.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. Accenture’s dividend payout ratio is 50.44%.

Insider Buying and Selling 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 shares were sold at an average price of $162.98, for a total transaction of $1,710,964.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing 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. Also, COO Catherine Hogan sold 1,320 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $264,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 12,556 shares in the company, valued at $2,511,200. This trade represents a 9.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 12,518 shares of company stock valued at $2,124,932. 0.02% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on ACN shares. Evercore set a $250.00 price target on Accenture and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 1st. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Accenture from $135.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 24th. UBS Group set a $278.00 price objective on Accenture in a research report on Thursday. DA Davidson cut their price target on Accenture from $275.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Accenture from $193.00 to $201.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $219.26.

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.