10 Best January Dividend Stocks To Buy

6. Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN)

Ex-Dividend Date: January 16

Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) is a multinational professional services company that deals in information technology services and management consulting. In fiscal Q1 2025, the company posted revenue of $17.7 billion, up 9% from the same period last year. Its consulting revenues came in at $9 billion. The company has revised its business outlook for fiscal 2025, raising its full-year revenue growth forecast to 4% to 7% in local currency. The company now anticipates a foreign exchange impact of negative 0.5%. Additionally, it has updated its GAAP EPS outlook to fall between $12.43 and $12.79, reflecting the revised revenue growth projection and updated foreign exchange assumptions.

Two key highlights from the quarter include the company’s new bookings totaling $18.7 billion, with 30 client bookings exceeding $100 million, and $1.2 billion in bookings related to generative artificial intelligence (AI). Investors have been closely monitoring Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN)’s growing AI services, which assist businesses with areas such as analytics, chatbots, and customer support.

Diamond Hill Capital highlighted ACN in its Q3 2024 investor letter. Here is what the firm has to say:

“We continue finding compelling new ideas, even as the bull market proceeds. In Q3, we initiated three new positions in Aon, Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) and Builders FirstSource. Accenture is a leading global IT services and consultancy business. We think the services it provides — which are differentiated and in specialty areas relative to many of its peers — are critical and will be in high demand in the technology ecosystem for years to come. This should contribute to stable prices and margins. We believe the market is undervaluing Accenture relative to the opportunity ahead of it and, consequently, were able to initiate a position in the quarter at a discounted share price.”

Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) also reported a strong cash position for the quarter. Its operating cash flow came in at $1.02 billion, up from $499 million in the prior year period. In addition, its free cash flow for the quarter was $870 million, growing from $430 million in the same quarter last year. The company remained committed to its shareholder obligation, returning $926 million to investors through dividends.

Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN), one of the best dividend stocks, has been making regular dividend payments to shareholders since 2005. Currently, it offers a quarterly dividend of $1.48 per share for a dividend yield of 1.67%, as of January 5.

Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) was a part of 60 hedge fund portfolios at the end of Q3 2024, compared with 68 in the previous quarter, as per Insider Monkey’s database. The stakes held by these hedge funds have a total value of over $4.3 billion.