Accenture CEO Buys $3 Million in Company Shares
Key Facts
The filing submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission divides the transaction into two separate trades. The first covered 2,100 shares at a weighted average price of $245.1063 per share, executed at prices ranging from $244.59 to $245.58. The second trade involved 10,100 shares at a weighted average price of $246.1701, within an execution range of $245.59 to $246.54. After the two purchases, Sweet's reported direct holdings rose to 48,910 shares, compared with 36,710 shares before the transaction.
The purchase coincided with volatility in the stock's trading during the sessions surrounding the disclosure. Accenture shares closed at $240.26 on October 21, then rose to $258.74 on October 22. The closing price fell to $249.37 on October 23, then to $247.23 on October 26. On October 27, the stock ended the session at $235.16. These prices show a decline from the October 22 close to the October 27 close, without supporting a description of the stock having doubled from a previous low.
The transaction follows the company's announcement of fourth-quarter results for fiscal 2026, with revenue of $18.68 billion. Revenue rose 6% in U.S. dollars and 7% in local currency compared with the same period of the previous fiscal year. The result also exceeded the upper end of the previous guidance range of $17.75 billion to $18.40 billion. New bookings totaled $22.17 billion, up 4% year over year in U.S. dollars and 5% in local currency. The bookings-to-bill ratio was 1.2 for the quarter.
Local-currency revenue growth extended across all three geographic regions cited by the company in its results. The Americas recorded growth of 7% in the fourth quarter compared with the same period, and Europe, the Middle East and Africa recorded the same rate. Growth in Asia Pacific was also 7%. For fiscal 2026, adjusted diluted earnings per share reached $13.97, up 8% from fiscal 2025. Sweet said the company "exceeded the high end of its fourth-quarter revenue guidance range and delivered another year of broad-based growth" in its business.
Accenture said it returned $11.5 billion to shareholders during fiscal 2026. The amount comprised $7.5 billion in share repurchases and $4 billion in cash dividends. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.71 per share for shareholders of record on October 13, 2026. It set November 13, 2026, as the payment date. The move is part of the shareholder returns the company announced alongside its annual results.
For fiscal 2027, the company expects revenue growth of 3% to 6% in local currency and diluted earnings per share of $14.39 to $14.81. For the first quarter of the fiscal year, it expects revenue of $18.95 billion to $19.60 billion, with local-currency growth ranging from 2% to 6%. It said it expects to return at least $9.5 billion in cash to shareholders during fiscal 2027. Among the upcoming dates announced by the company is the dividend payment on November 13. It also scheduled its fiscal 2027 first-quarter results conference for December 17, 2026, at 08:00 a.m. Eastern Time.