Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADP) Receives $265.36 Consensus PT from Brokerages

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADP) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the twelve analysts that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $265.36.

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on shares of Automatic Data Processing from $271.00 to $287.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, August 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Automatic Data Processing from $250.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 20th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Automatic Data Processing from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, August 1st. StockNews.com upgraded Automatic Data Processing from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Automatic Data Processing from $250.00 to $267.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st.

Automatic Data Processing Stock Performance

ADP opened at $278.40 on Tuesday. Automatic Data Processing has a 1-year low of $205.53 and a 1-year high of $279.58. The stock has a market cap of $113.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.07, a P/E/G ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.79. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $259.68 and its 200 day simple moving average is $250.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.01 and a quick ratio of 1.01.

Automatic Data Processing (NASDAQ:ADP) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The business services provider reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.06 by $0.03. Automatic Data Processing had a return on equity of 89.20% and a net margin of 19.54%. The firm had revenue of $4.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.74 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.89 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Automatic Data Processing will post 10.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Automatic Data Processing Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be issued a $1.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $5.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.01%. Automatic Data Processing’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 62.50%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Automatic Data Processing

In other news, Director Carlos A. Rodriguez sold 9,203 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, September 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $269.45, for a total transaction of $2,479,748.35. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 36,741 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,899,862.45. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, VP Michael A. Bonarti sold 26,442 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $270.96, for a total value of $7,164,724.32. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 88,426 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,959,908.96. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Carlos A. Rodriguez sold 9,203 shares of Automatic Data Processing stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $269.45, for a total transaction of $2,479,748.35. Following the transaction, the director now owns 36,741 shares in the company, valued at $9,899,862.45. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 58,817 shares of company stock valued at $15,999,208. 0.26% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Automatic Data Processing

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Kiely Wealth Advisory Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Automatic Data Processing during the second quarter valued at $27,000. Keener Financial Planning LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Automatic Data Processing by 230.3% during the 1st quarter. Keener Financial Planning LLC now owns 109 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Automatic Data Processing in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Automatic Data Processing in the first quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Pineridge Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Automatic Data Processing in the fourth quarter worth approximately $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.03% of the company’s stock.

Automatic Data Processing Company Profile

Automatic Data Processing, Inc provides cloud-based human capital management solutions worldwide. It operates in two segments, Employer Services and Professional Employer Organization (PEO). The Employer Services segment offers strategic, cloud-based platforms, and human resources (HR) outsourcing solutions.