Accenture plc provides consulting, technology, and outsourcing services worldwide. Its Communications, Media & Technology segment provides professional services that help clients accelerate and deliver digital transformation, and enhance business results through industry-specific solutions; and serves clients in communications, electronics, high technology, media, and entertainment industries. The company's Financial Services segment offers services that help clients enhance cost efficiency, grow their customer base, manage risk, and transform their operations; and serves clients in banking, capital markets, and insurance industries. Its Health & Public Service segment provides research-based insights and offerings, including consulting services and digital solutions to help clients deliver social, economic, and health outcomes; and serves healthcare payers and providers, as well as government departments and agencies, public service organizations, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations. The company's Products segment helps clients enhance their performance in distribution, sales, and marketing; in research and development, and manufacturing; and in business functions, such as finance, human resources, procurement, and supply chain. This segment serves clients in consumer goods, retail, and travel services industries; automotive, freight and logistics, industrial and electrical equipment, consumer durable and heavy equipment, and construction and infrastructure management companies; and pharmaceutical, medical technology, and biotechnology companies. The company's Resources segment enables clients to develop and implement new business strategies, improve operations, manage complex change initiatives, and integrate digital technologies; and serves clients in chemicals, energy, forest products, metals and mining, and utilities and related industries. Accenture plc was founded in 1989 and is based in Dublin, Ireland.
(Summary) (Company) (Chart)
27 December 2016 Price $117.55 1yr Target $129.54 Analysts 27 Dividend $2.42 Payout Ratio 35.79% 1yr Cap Gain 10.19% Yield 2.05% 1yr Tot Return 12.24% P/E 17.40 PEG 1.75 Beta 1.17 | EPS (ttm) $6.76 EPS next yr $6.40 Forward P/E 18.36 EPS next 5yr 9.97% 1yr Price Support $63.80 Market Cap $76.66 Bil Revenues $35.34 Bil Earnings $4.30 Bil Profit Margin 12.16% Quick Ratio 1.20 Current Ratio 1.20 Debt/Equity 0.00 | 1yr RevGR 5.72% 3yr RevGR 4.56% 5yr RevGR 4.93% 1yr EarnGR 35.50% 3yr EarnGR 9.27% 5yr EarnGR 13.72% 1yr DivGR 43.63% 3yr DivGR 36.92% 5yr DivGR 17.36% ROA 21.90% ROE 59.50% |
Accenture began as the business and technology consulting division of accounting firm Arthur Andersen. In 1989 Arthur Andersen split out the consulting division and Andersen Consulting became a separate unit of Andersen Worldwide Société Coopérative (AWSC).
Throughout the 1990s, there was increasing tension between Andersen Consulting and Arthur Andersen. Andersen Consulting was upset that it was paying Arthur Andersen up to 15% of its profits each year while at the same time Arthur Andersen was competing with Andersen Consulting through its own newly established business consulting service line called Arthur Andersen Business Consulting (AABC). This dispute came to a head in 1998 when Andersen Consulting claimed breach of contract against AWSC and Arthur Andersen.
Andersen Consulting put the 15% transfer payment for that year and future years into escrow and issued a claim for breach of contract. In August 2000, as a result of the conclusion of arbitration with the International Chamber of Commerce, Andersen Consulting broke all contractual ties with AWSC and Arthur Andersen. As part of the arbitration settlement, Andersen Consulting paid the sum held in escrow (then $1.2 billion) to Arthur Andersen and was required to change its name, resulting in the entity being renamed Accenture.
On 1 January 2001, Andersen Consulting adopted its current name, "Accenture". On 19 July 2001, Accenture’s initial public offering was priced at $14.50 per share and the shares began trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
My Path Forward.
The fundamentals look great and the chart looks like the stock could certainly move higher than the estimated $129 per share next year. I could actually see the stock in the $135-$140 range 12 months from now. A move like that would double the estimated one year total return. I also like the looks of the company's dividend history chart. That said, I think I'll start a very small position in this company (because on my budget the shares are not exactly cheap at $117 per share) and then add additional shares if the price pulls back a little.
I expect a position in this company will take a while to accomplish and be a slow process simply because I now have so many companies I'd like to own that I'm running out of funds to buy them. But this will be high on my want list and I'll get around to starting a position as quickly as I can.