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ADP

S&P 500
Favorable · 61/100

Automatic Data Processing

Industrials
Human Resource & Employment Services

$214.60

1.7%

Updated Today 7:15 PM ET

Price — Past Year

▼ Down 28.8% over the last 12 months

Price 50-day average 200-day averageSource: Yahoo Finance · refreshed daily
Key Metrics

Market Cap

$87.31B

P/E

19.95x

Forward P/E (est.)

18.17x

ROE

68.7%

Revenue Growth

6.9%

EPS Growth

9.8%

Profit Margin

20.1%

FCF Yield

4.4%

Debt / Equity

1.41x

ROIC

Interest Coverage

Current Ratio

1.04x

Dividend Yield

3.0%

Implied Growth (rev. DCF)

Rating Score

61/100

Technical Analysis (Educational)
Research

Technical analysis reads price and volume to judge momentum and timing. It complements the fundamentals above — it does not replace them. Here is what ADP's chart says today, with each tool explained.

Trend — moving averages. A moving average is the average closing price over a window, which smooths out daily noise. ADP trades near $214.60, around its 50-day average ($213.89) and 200-day average ($243.00). Price tangled in its moving averages means there is no clear trend — the stock is ranging.

Momentum — RSI. The Relative Strength Index runs 0–100 and measures how strong recent gains are versus losses. Above 70 is "overbought", below 30 "oversold". At 46 it is in neutral territory — neither stretched nor washed out.

MACD. MACD compares two moving averages to flag shifts in momentum. Its histogram is currently negative — short-term momentum is fading.

Volatility — ATR. Average True Range is the typical daily move. ADP's is $6.24 (~2.9% of price), so swings of about that size each day are normal — handy for setting a stop that isn't too tight.

Support & resistance. Over the last month ADP found buyers near $215.30 (support) and sellers near $237.11 (resistance); its 52-week range is $188.16–$315.98. A decisive break beyond either edge often marks the next move.

Volume. The latest session traded 2.4× the 20-day average — heavier than usual, which adds conviction to the move. Rising volume on up-days suggests real buying; on down-days, real selling.

Educational information to help you read a chart — not a recommendation or a forecast. It updates daily as the price and indicators change.

Business Overview
Research

Automatic Data Processing (ADP) is a large-cap company in the Human Resource & Employment Services industry, part of the Industrials sector of the S&P 500, with a market value around $87.31B.

In its latest reported year it generated about $20.56B in revenue and $4.08B in net profit.

Our model rates ADP Favorable (61/100) on growth, profitability, financial health, and valuation. The summary below is built from its filed financials and current ratios and refreshes automatically.

Revenue Growth
Research

4Y CAGR

8.2%

Revenue moved from $15.01B in 2021 to $20.56B in 2025, a 8.2% compound annual growth rate. The most recent year grew a steady 6.9% year over year. Slower, mature growth is common for established businesses.

Profitability
Research

Gross Margin

46.4%

Operating Margin

26.5%

Net Margin

19.8%

ROE

68.7%

Automatic Data Processing keeps about 20.1% of each sales dollar as net profit, with a 46.4% gross margin and 26.5% operating margin. Return on equity is 68.7%. Margins this wide usually signal pricing power or a cost advantage.

Debt Analysis
Research

Total Debt

$35.50M

Net Debt

-$3.19B

Net cash position

Net Debt / EBITDA

Debt / Equity

1.41x

Leverage: debt-to-equity is 1.4x, with a current ratio of 1.0x. That is a moderate, manageable debt load for most businesses. It carries roughly $35.50M of total debt against $3.23B of cash.

Cash Flow Analysis
Research

Operating CF

$4.94B

Free Cash Flow

$4.94B

FCF Margin

24.0%

In the latest year Automatic Data Processing produced about $4.94B of operating cash flow and $4.94B of free cash flow after capital spending. That is a free-cash-flow yield of about 4.4% on today's price. Strong cash generation funds dividends, buybacks, and reinvestment.

Valuation Analysis
Research

P/E

19.95x

P/S

4.29x

P/B

19.87x

EV / EBITDA

ADP trades at 20.0x trailing earnings (about 18.2x on estimated forward earnings), 4.3x sales, and 19.9x book value. That is a fairly typical valuation for a profitable company.

Metrics vs. Typical Range

Where this stock sits versus what most companies trade at.

TTM P/E
20.0xFair
Forward P/E
18.2xFair
P/S ratio
4.3xExpensive
Revenue growth
6.9%Strong
EPS growth
9.8%Average
Gross margin
46.4%Average
Net margin
20.1%Strong
ROE
68.7%Strong

Typical ranges are general references (e.g., many stocks trade at ~18–26x earnings), not hard rules. Context only — not investment advice.

Sector Peer Comparison

How ADP stacks up against its Industrials peers — valuation, profitability, and growth versus the sector median.

In the Industrials sector (80 S&P 500 companies), ADP ranks #16 of 80 by our overall rating. It trades at a discount versus the sector on earnings (20x P/E vs. 30x median) with a higher return on equity (68.7% vs. 24.7%) and faster revenue growth (6.9% vs. 5.0%).

P/E vs sector

20x

median 30x

ROE vs sector

68.7%

median 24.7%

Growth vs sector

6.9%

median 5.0%

Sector rank

#16

of 80 by rating

CompanyP/ERev Gr.Rating
ADPThis stock20x6.9%Favorable· 61
PAYX21.6x16.4%Favorable· 68
WM30.6x10.9%Neutral· 48
JCI25x-3.4%Neutral· 55
CSX27.8x-0.9%Neutral· 47
EMR35x4.0%Neutral· 45
MMM30x2.1%Weak· 33
UPS17x-2.9%Neutral· 45
Industrials median30x5.0%52/100

Valuation vs. quality map

sector medianPAYXWMJCICSXEMRMMMUPSADPP/E — cheaper ←→ pricierROE — more profitable ↑

The sweet spot is upper-left: more profitable (higher ROE) for a lower P/E. Dashed lines mark the sector median.

Compare side by side

Peers are the closest Industrials companies by sub-industry and size. Sector median is across all 80 S&P 500 names in the sector. Educational, not a recommendation.

5-Year Projection Model

Project revenue → earnings → price. Edit the assumptions to build your own case.

2030 price target (Base Case)

$173.14$288.57

vs. $214.60 today · expected CAGR -4%6%

Metric20262027202820292030
Revenue$22.00B$23.54B$25.19B$26.95B$28.84B
Net income$4.40B$4.71B$5.04B$5.39B$5.77B
EPS$11.01$11.78$12.60$13.48$14.43
Share price (low)$132.09$141.33$151.23$161.81$173.14
Share price (high)$220.15$235.56$252.05$269.69$288.57
CAGR (low–high)-38% / 3%-19% / 5%-11% / 6%-7% / 6%-4% / 6%

Educational model on sample fundamentals — not a forecast or investment advice. Outputs are only as good as your assumptions.

Bull Case

The case for ADP:

  • High net margins (20.1%) point to pricing power or efficiency.
  • Strong return on equity (68.7%) shows capital is put to work well.
  • Healthy free-cash-flow yield (~4.4%) funds buybacks and dividends.
  • Pays a 3.0% dividend on top of any price gains.
  • Our model's overall read is Favorable (61/100).
Bear Case

The case against ADP:

  • Like any single stock, it is exposed to competition, the economic cycle, and shifts in its end markets.
Key Risks
Research

Balance-sheet risk — debt/equity of 1.4x magnifies the impact of higher rates or weaker earnings.

Market risk — sector rotation, the economic cycle, and broad sentiment move the stock regardless of fundamentals.

Investment Thesis
Research

On balance, the fundamentals screen favourably: Automatic Data Processing is a large-cap industrials business growing at a mature pace, with solid profitability, and a heavier debt load to watch. It trades at 20.0x earnings, which our model scores Favorable (61/100). Weigh this against your own goals and time horizon — this is educational information, not a recommendation.

Data notice. Fundamentals and financial statements are sourced from company filings (SEC EDGAR) and market-data providers; prices and market caps refresh on trading days and may be delayed. Ratings, projections, technical signals, and written summaries are model- or rule-generated for education and may simplify or lag the latest filings.

Not advice. Nothing on this page is investment advice or a recommendation to buy, hold, or sell any security. Do your own research and consult a licensed financial professional before investing.