Why Analysts Still Call Accenture (ACN) a 'Best-in-Class' Digital Franchise

Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) is one of the AI Stocks on Market Radar. On September 23, Wolfe Research analyst Darrin Peller lowered the price target on the stock to $285.00 (from $290.00) while maintaining an Outperform rating.

The firm believes that Accenture holds a “best-in-class” digital franchise built on cloud, security, and industry-focused offerings. Investments in AI and cloud will position it to meet the growing demand for digital transformations.

Looking ahead, the company’s end-to-end capabilities and consulting expertise are anticipated to drive share gains as enterprises adopt generative AI. However, risks such as tariffs and DOGE-related implications remain.

“Price Target: Our YE26 price target of $285 ($290 prior) is predicated on ~19x (unchanged) our CY27 EPS estimate of $15.03 ($15.10 prior). In our view ACN maintains a best-in-class digital franchise, driven by its foundation of higher-value offerings (Cloud, Security, Interactive, Industry X) and sound delivery model. We believe ACN should continue to trade at a premium relative to peers given its history of enhanced execution (prudent supply/demand balancing, consistent margin expansion, and sound FCF generation). Going forward, we believe ACN’s investments into AI, Accenture Cloud, and other digital offerings will allow the company to match supply with increasing demand for cloud/digital transformations. Additionally, we believe improving discretionary demand in 2026 could potentially lead to upside to consensus estimates. Longer-term, we believe ACN’s end-to-end capabilities and strong consulting presence (with unique domain expertise) will allow it to gain share as enterprises increasingly adopt GenAI. Although demand appears somewhat stable, we recognize concerns around tariffs and DOGE implications. Maintain Outperform.”

Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) offers strategy and consulting services.

While we acknowledge the potential of ACN as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

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Disclosure: None.