Accenture(US:ACN) Benzinga·2025-12-16 18:15Core Viewpoint - Accenture's stock experienced volatility as investors reacted to analyst upgrades and acquisition news, with Morgan Stanley raising its rating and price target for the company [1]. Group 1: Analyst Upgrade - Morgan Stanley upgraded Accenture from Equal-Weight to Overweight and increased its price forecast from $271 to $320 [1]. Group 2: Acquisition Details - Accenture will acquire a 65% stake in DLB Associates, a U.S.-based engineering consultancy, enhancing its data center design and advisory capabilities [2]. - DLB specializes in data center site selection, technical due diligence, design engineering, and commissioning services, serving hyperscalers and colocation providers [2]. Group 3: Integration Plans - Approximately 620 DLB employees will join Accenture's Industry X practice, with leaders David Quirk and Neil Chauhan continuing to lead the DLB team [3]. - This acquisition is expected to strengthen Accenture's infrastructure and capital projects capabilities, allowing for broader end-to-end delivery for data center clients [3]. Group 4: Market Demand - Julie Sweet, Accenture's CEO, noted the increasing demand for data center capacity driven by AI, highlighting the need for speed, scale, and reliability in AI deployments [4]. Group 5: Deal Terms and Timing - Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, and the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals before closing [5].