Howland Capital Management 13F: Cuts ACN Stake by $2.3M
Key Points
- Howland Capital Management trimmed its Accenture plc ACN stake by 58.8% in an October 22, 2026 filing, leaving it with 8,960 shares.
- Accenture trades with a trailing P/E ratio of 19.1 and offers an annual dividend rate of $6.84 per share, yielding 2.6%.
- Several Wall Street firms recently updated their targets for the consulting firm, including Goldman Sachs raising its target to $260.
Since the filing, $ACN is down 4.5% to date (from the $258.74 close on Oct 22, 2026).
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Howland Capital Management trimmed its holdings in Accenture plc ACN by 12,784 shares during the quarter, according to a Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 22, 2026.
The institutional investor cut its position by 58.8%, leaving it with 8,960 shares of the information technology services provider. The remaining stake carried a reported value of $1,642,996 at the time of the filing. Accenture closed at $258.74 on the filing date.
ACN
Accenture plc
Howland Capital Management vs. the S&P 500
Hypothetical returns from Howland Capital Management's disclosed trades, not real profit or advice. How we model this.
Other Institutional Activity in Accenture
Franklin Resources, Inc. grew its holdings by 850,032 shares, ending with 7,817,508 shares worth about $1,949,451,931.
Accenture plc Stock Up 3.8%
Accenture recently traded around $249.42 as of October 24, 2026, sitting down about 3.6% since the filing date. The stock has recovered strongly from its 52-week low of $118.15, trading up 111.1% from that mark, while remaining 14.3% below its 52-week high of $291.09.
Recent Earnings
Accenture generated $74,183,442,432 in trailing-twelve-month revenue with earnings of $13.56 per share. The company posted a net profit margin of 11.3% and a return on equity of 26.0%. Its revenue grew 6.2% year-over-year. The company's next earnings report is scheduled for December 17, 2026.
Earnings drift grade
Outlook vs expectations on the last report — not price action.
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Forward outlook
8 analysts cut price targets. 0 raised targets after the report.
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EPS & revenue
EPS beat estimates by 1.4%. Revenue missed estimates by 1.1%.
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Profit surprise
EBITDA came in 17% below estimates. Operating income met estimates.
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Pre-earnings setup
Expectations were about average going in.
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Analyst signal
2 analyst downgrades after the report. 8 price target cuts after the report.
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Earnings quality
Free cash flow was positive.
Earnings Call Summary
Accenture delivered a strong quarter with $18.7 billion in revenue, up four percent year over year, and record bookings of $22.1 billion. The company now has 85,000 artificial intelligence and data professionals, exceeding its goal. Management highlighted major demand from clients across artificial intelligence transformation, cybersecurity, and core business process modernization, with significant momentum in large enterprise programs and growing opportunities in emerging markets.
Guidance Accenture raised full year guidance and now expects between $127.25 billion and $128.75 billion in revenue for fiscal 2026. They also increased earnings per share guidance to between $13.65 and $13.90. Management expects three percent to five percent revenue growth, with free cash flow expected to reach $10.8 billion to $11.5 billion, and plans to deploy about $5 billion in acquisitions.
Severe negative reset. The report materially damaged the forward outlook and likely forces major downward revisions.
Dividend
Accenture pays an annual dividend rate of $6.84 per share, which translates to a dividend yield of 2.64%. The company pays out 48.1% of its earnings as dividends.
Insider Buying and Selling at Accenture plc
Chief Operating Officer Catherine Kiernan Hogan sold 700 shares on October 12, 2026, totaling $149,965. Later, on October 22, 2026, officer Ryoji Sekido sold 5,844 shares worth $1,430,826. On the same day, officer Melissa A Burgum sold 811 shares at $250.00 per share for a total value of $202,750.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
On October 2, 2026, Goldman Sachs maintained its Buy rating and raised its price target from $230.00 to $260.00. On October 6, 2026, Mizuho maintained an Outperform rating and lifted its target from $226.00 to $241.00. TD Cowen maintained a Hold rating on October 15, 2026, raising its target from $193.00 to $201.00. On the same day, Susquehanna maintained a Neutral rating while moving its target from $210.00 to $230.00. Baird downgraded the stock to Neutral on October 21, 2026, adjusting its target from $245.00 to $252.00. The stock carries a consensus buy recommendation and a mean price target of $227.07 across 24 analyst opinions.
About Accenture
Accenture plc is a global professional services company headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. It employs roughly 814,000 people to provide strategy, consulting, digital, technology, and managed services to clients across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. Institutional portfolio shifts like Howland Capital's reduction offer a window into how professional managers reallocate capital across large technology service providers.
Bottom Line
Investors tracking Accenture will look toward the upcoming earnings release on December 17, 2026, for further insight into the firm's growth trajectory and profit margins. Quarterly 13F filings continue to show how major asset managers adjust their holdings over time.
Related Filing Alerts
Source: Howland Capital Management's 13F filing on $ACN (Oct 22, 2026). 13F filings show holdings as of the end of the reporting quarter and may not reflect the fund's current position. Written by software, not financial advice. How we make alerts