Paychex Inc. (PAYX): price, analyst ratings, earnings and fundamentals
Updated 16 September 2026, 08:02 ET
Paychex Inc. (PAYX) closed at $118.30 on 15 September 2026, down 0.2%. The stock is down 3.0% over one month and down 12.4% over one year. It trades 12.9% below its 52-week high of $135.78. Analysts recorded 10 actions in the last 90 days; the median price target of $117 is 1.1% below the last close. The company last reported on 24 June 2026 for Q4 2026: EPS of $1.32 against an estimate of $1.31, a beat of 0.8%, on revenue of $1.6 billion.
Price and performance
Performance figures use dividend and split adjusted closes over trading sessions, so a one-year move compares the last close with the close 252 sessions earlier. The 52-week range uses the adjusted daily highs and lows of the same window. Read the guide: Momentum, trend and technical indicators.
The live chart with technical indicators is in the app: open PAYX in FundSpec.
Analyst ratings
Over the last 90 days FundSpec recorded 10 analyst actions on PAYX from 9 firms: 9 maintained or reiterated a view and 1 upgrade. Price targets were 8 raised and 1 lowered. The most recent targets from 9 firms range from $105 to $150, with a median of $117, 1.1% below the last close.
| Date | Firm | Action | Price target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Sep 2026 | Wolfe Research | Upgrades to Peer Perform from Underperform | |
| 11 Sep 2026 | TD Cowen | Maintains Hold | $98.00 to $117.00 |
| 9 Sep 2026 | Stifel | Maintains Hold | $110.00 to $130.00 |
| 9 Sep 2026 | Wells Fargo | Maintains Underweight | $95.00 to $111.00 |
| 13 Aug 2026 | Jefferies | Maintains Hold | $105.00 to $120.00 |
| 30 Jul 2026 | Citigroup | Maintains Buy | $140.00 to $150.00 |
| 22 Jul 2026 | UBS | Maintains Neutral | $105.00 to $115.00 |
| 30 Jun 2026 | Morgan Stanley | Maintains Equal-Weight | $107.00 to $109.00 |
| 25 Jun 2026 | UBS | Maintains Neutral | $100.00 to $98.00 |
| 25 Jun 2026 | JP Morgan | Maintains Underweight | $100.00 to $105.00 |
A price target is one firm's twelve-month view, and the median across firms is a steadier reading than any single call. Upgrades and downgrades matter more when they change a rating, not only a target. Read the guide: What analyst ratings and price targets actually tell you.
Every action with the firm's history is in Analyst Ratings.
Earnings
The next report is scheduled for 23 September 2026 before the open for Q1 2027, with EPS expected at $1.32 on revenue of $1.6 billion. Paychex Inc. beat the EPS estimate in 7 of its last 7 reported quarters.
| Period | Reported | EPS estimate | EPS actual | Surprise | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q4 2026 | 24 Jun 2026 | $1.31 | $1.32 | +0.76% | $1.6B |
| Q3 2026 | 25 Mar 2026 | $1.67 | $1.71 | +2.40% | $1.8B |
| Q2 2026 | 19 Dec 2025 | $1.23 | $1.26 | +2.44% | $1.6B |
| Q1 2026 | 30 Sep 2025 | $1.21 | $1.22 | +0.83% | $1.5B |
| Q4 2025 | 25 Jun 2025 | $1.19 | $1.19 | 0.00% | $1.4B |
| Q3 2025 | 26 Mar 2025 | $1.48 | $1.49 | +0.68% | $1.5B |
| Q2 2025 | 19 Dec 2024 | $1.13 | $1.14 | +0.88% | $1.3B |
| Q1 2025 | 1 Oct 2024 | $1.14 | $1.16 | +1.75% | $1.3B |
An earnings surprise is the reported EPS against the consensus estimate on the day. The price reaction depends as much on guidance and on what was already priced in as on the surprise itself. Read the guide: Earnings season: estimates, surprises and price reaction.
Estimates, confirmed dates and alerts for every company are in Earnings.
Fundamentals
For the period ended 31 May 2026, Paychex Inc. reported revenue of $1.6 billion and net income of $420.5 million. On a trailing twelve month basis the company shows revenue growth of 16.88%, a gross margin of 74.29%, an operating margin of 38.55% and a return on equity of 44.77%.
Income statement
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Revenue | $1,605,500,000 |
| Gross Profit | $1,188,200,000 |
| Selling, General & Administrative Expenses | $583,500,000 |
| Depreciation & Amortization | $113,200,000 |
| Total Operating Expenses | $1,000,800,000 |
| Operating Profit | $604,700,000 |
| Interest Expense | $64,700,000 |
| Pre-tax Income | $554,200,000 |
| Income Tax Expense | $133,600,000 |
| Net Income | $420,500,000 |
Cash flow
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cash from Operating Activities | $580,900,000 |
| Stock-based Compensation | $20,700,000 |
| Cash from Investing Activities | -$227,400,000 |
| Capital Expenditures | $65,900,000 |
| Cash from Financing Activities | -$1,791,300,000 |
| Dividends Paid | $424,600,000 |
| Share Repurchases | $249,400,000 |
| Free Cash Flow | $515,000,000 |
Assets
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cash & Cash Equivalents | $1,088,200,000 |
| Restricted Cash | $52,800,000 |
| Short-term Investments | $36,300,000 |
| Prepaid Expenses | $384,700,000 |
| Total Current Assets | $8,613,300,000 |
| Plant, Property & Equipment, Net | $588,900,000 |
| Operating Lease Right-of-Use Assets | $63,900,000 |
| Goodwill Intangible Assets, Net | $6,211,400,000 |
| Other Long-term Assets | $141,200,000 |
| Total Assets | $16,174,500,000 |
Liabilities and equity
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Accounts Payable & Accrued Expenses | $154,800,000 |
| Operating Lease Liabilities, Current | $22,000,000 |
| Income Taxes Payable | $87,800,000 |
| Deferred Liability Charges | $69,400,000 |
| Other Current Liabilities | $637,100,000 |
| Total Current Liabilities | $6,840,600,000 |
| Long-term Debt | $4,556,100,000 |
| Operating Lease Liabilities, Long-term | $52,200,000 |
| Deferred Income Taxes | $543,300,000 |
| Other Liabilities | $306,700,000 |
| Total Liabilities | $12,439,400,000 |
| Common Stock | $3,600,000 |
| Retained Earnings | $1,805,800,000 |
| Other Accumulated Comprehensive Income | -$49,900,000 |
| Total Stockholders Equity | $3,735,100,000 |
| Total Liability & Stockholders Equity | $16,174,500,000 |
Figures as filed with the SEC for the period ended 31 May 2026, in US dollars.
FundSpec fundamental metrics
Each metric is computed from the company's filings and ranked against every company FundSpec covers; the percentile is the share of covered companies with a lower value.
Liquidity
| Metric | Value | Percentile | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash Ratio | 0.16 | 41st | Calculated as the ratio of Cash and cash equivalents / Current liabilities. This metric calculates the company's ability to repay its short-term debt |
| Current Ratio | 1.26 | 53rd | Calculated as the ratio of Current Assets / Current Liabilities. The higher the current ratio, the more capable the company is of paying its obligations |
Leverage
| Metric | Value | Percentile | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debt/Assets | 0.28 | 72nd | Calculated as the ratio of Short-Term Debt + Long-Term Debt / Total Assets. The higher the ratio, the higher the degree of leverage, and consequently, financial risk |
| Debt/Equity | 1.22 | 81st | Calculated as the ratio of Total Liabilities / Shareholders' Equity. The ratio indicates how much debt a company is using to finance its assets relative to the amount of value represented in shareholders’ equity |
| Degree of Combined Leverage | 0.91 | 54th | This ratio summarizes the combined effect that the degree of operating leverage (DOL) and the degree of financial leverage have on earnings per share (EPS), given a particular change in sales |
| Degree of Financial Leverage | 1.12 | 68th | Calculated as the ratio of Percentage change in EPS / Percentage change in EBIT. A higher degree of financial leverage means that the company has more volatile EPS. |
| Degree of Operational Leverage | 0.81 | 55th | Calculated as the ratio of Percentage change in EBIT / Percentage change in revenue. It is a measure of how earnings for the company is impacted by its sales activity. |
| Long Term Debt/Long Term Capital | 0.55 | 67th | Calculated as Long-Term Debt / (Long-Term Debt + Shareholders' Equity). The ratio is an indicator of the company's leverage |
| Long Term Debt/Total Capital | 0.55 | 75th | Calculated as (Short-Term Debt + Long-Term Debt / (Short-Term Debt + Long-Term Debt + Shareholders' Equity). The ratio is an indicator of the company's leverage |
Profitability
| Metric | Value | Percentile | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Cashflow Margin Pct | 35.7% | 93rd | Calculated as the ratio of Free Cashflow from Operating Activities / Net Sales. It measures how much per dollar of revenue the company is able to convert into free cash flow. |
| Gross Margin Pct | 74.3% | 86th | Calculated as the ratio of Revenue - Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) / Revenue. The gross margin represents the percent of total sales revenue that the company retains after incurring the direct costs associated with producing the goods and services sold by a company. |
| Operating Margin Pct | 38.6% | 93rd | Calculated as the ratio of (Revenue - (Cost of Goods Sold + Labour + Sales, General & Administrative)) / Revenue. Operating margins are important because they measure efficiency. The higher the operating margin, the more profitable a company's core business is. |
| Operating Profit Pct Growth | 13.7% | 57th | The Operating Profit growth rate over the trailing twelve months (TTM) |
| Operating Profit Pct Growth 3 year CAGR (FY) | 7.3% | 55th | The Operating Profit compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past 3 years |
| Operating Profit Pct Growth 5 year CAGR (FY) | 11.4% | 68th | The Operating Profit compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past 5 years |
| PreTax Margin Pct | 35.5% | 90th | Calculated as the ratio of (Gross profit - (Operating Expense + Interest Expense)) / Revenue. The pretax profit margin enables profitability to be compared across companies with significant differences in size, scale, capital structure and tax rates. |
| Return on Assets Pct | 10.8% | 91st | Calculated as the ratio of Net Income / Total Assets. It is an indicator of how efficient the company is at using its assets to generate earnings. |
| Return on Equity Pct | 44.8% | 95th | Calculated as the ratio of Net Income / Shareholders' equity. It is a measure of how much profit a company generates with the money shareholders have invested. |
| Return on Invested Capital Pct | 22.5% | 91st | Calculated as the ratio of (Net Income - Dividends) / (Debt + Equity). It is a measure of how efficient the company is at allocating the capital under its control to profitable investments. |
Cashflow
| Metric | Value | Percentile | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| FCF Pct Growth | 35.8% | 67th | The Free Cash Flow growth rate over the trailing twelve months (TTM) |
| FCF Pct Growth 3 year CAGR | 48.5% | 64th | The Free Cash Flow compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past 3 years |
| FCF Pct Growth 5 year CAGR | 103.3% | 69th | The Free Cash Flow compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past 5 years |
| FCF Return on Assets Pct | 14.2% | 91st | Calculated as the ratio of Cashflow from Operations / Total Assets. A high cash return on assets means a company is generating more cash flow from every asset dollar |
| Operating Cashflow Pct Growth | 34.5% | 68th | The Operating Cashflow growth rate over the trailing twelve months (TTM) |
| Operating Cashflow Pct Growth 3 year CAGR (FY) | 14.4% | 66th | The Operating Cashflow compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past 3 years |
| Operating Cashflow Pct Growth 5 year CAGR (FY) | 15.2% | 76th | The Operating Cashflow compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past 5 years |
Earnings Growth (Net Income)
| Metric | Value | Percentile | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net Income Pct Growth | 6.2% | 47th | The Net Income growth rate over the trailing twelve months (TTM) |
| Net Income Pct Growth 3 year CAGR | 4.2% | 52nd | The Net Income compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past 3 years |
| Net Income Pct Growth 5 year CAGR | 9.9% | 65th | The Net Income compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past 5 years |
Top Line Growth
| Metric | Value | Percentile | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Pct Growth | 16.9% | 73rd | The Revenue (Sales) growth rate over the trailing twelve months (TTM) |
| Revenue Pct Growth 3 year CAGR | 9.2% | 63rd | The Revenue (Sales) compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past 3 years |
| Revenue Pct Growth 5 year CAGR | 9.9% | 60th | The Revenue (Sales) compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past 5 years |
Taxes
| Metric | Value | Percentile | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective Tax Rate Pct | 23.8% | 78th | The effective tax rate of the company over the trailing twelve months (TTM). |
Margins and returns say how much of each dollar of sales becomes profit and how hard the balance sheet is working; leverage and liquidity say how much room the company has when conditions turn. Read the guide: A practical guide to discounted cash flow valuation.
Fair value, peer multiples and the full statement history are in the app: open PAYX in FundSpec.
Insider activity
In the last 90 days insiders filed 43 transactions: 18 acquisitions covering 484,343 shares and 25 disposals covering 478,888 shares. Acquisitions include awards and option exercises as well as open market purchases. The largest by value was a disposal of 163,329 shares by Martin Mucci, Director, Chairman on 14 July 2026, worth about $18.0 million at the transaction price.
| Date | Insider | Title | Type | Shares | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Sep 2026 | B Thomas Golisano | 10% Owner | Disposal | 334 | $127.04 | $42K |
| 14 Aug 2026 | Christopher C Simmons | VP, Controller & Treasurer | Disposal | 130 | $122.02 | $16K |
| 20 Jul 2026 | Robert L. Schrader | Sr. VP, CFO | Disposal | 2,600 | $115.09 | $299K |
| 20 Jul 2026 | Joseph Doody | Director | Disposal | 164 | ||
| 20 Jul 2026 | Joseph Doody | Director | Acquisition | 164 | ||
| 17 Jul 2026 | Martin Mucci | Director, Chairman | Disposal | 9,309 | $113.98 | $1.1M |
| 17 Jul 2026 | Christopher C Simmons | VP, Controller & Treasurer | Disposal | 2,615 | $115.92 | $303K |
| 15 Jul 2026 | John B Gibson | President and CEO | Acquisition | 96,971 | $110.00 | $10.7M |
| 15 Jul 2026 | Robert L. Schrader | Sr. VP, CFO | Acquisition | 29,553 | $110.00 | $3.3M |
| 15 Jul 2026 | Ryan Norman Bergstrom | Chief Product Officer | Acquisition | 23,088 | $110.00 | $2.5M |
| 15 Jul 2026 | Adam Brooks Ante | Sr. Vice President, Paycor | Acquisition | 23,088 | $110.00 | $2.5M |
| 15 Jul 2026 | Chad C Parodi | SVP, HCM, PEO & Insurance | Acquisition | 18,471 | $110.00 | $2.0M |
| 15 Jul 2026 | Mason Argiropoulos | VP, Chief HR Officer | Acquisition | 14,777 | $110.00 | $1.6M |
| 15 Jul 2026 | John B Gibson | President and CEO | Disposal | 14,083 | $110.00 | $1.5M |
| 15 Jul 2026 | Christopher C Simmons | VP, Controller & Treasurer | Acquisition | 11,082 | $110.00 | $1.2M |
Insider filings record what officers and directors did with their own shares. Disposals are often planned sales or tax related, so a pattern across several insiders says more than one filing.
SEC filings
The latest filing is a 10-K from 17 July 2026.
| Filed | Form | Document |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Jul 2026 | 10-K | View on sec.gov |
| 26 Mar 2026 | 10-Q | View on sec.gov |
| 22 Dec 2025 | 10-Q | View on sec.gov |
| 30 Sep 2025 | 10-Q | View on sec.gov |
| 11 Jul 2025 | 10-K | View on sec.gov |
| 26 Mar 2025 | 10-Q | View on sec.gov |
| 19 Dec 2024 | 10-Q | View on sec.gov |
| 1 Oct 2024 | 10-Q | View on sec.gov |
| 11 Jul 2024 | 10-K | View on sec.gov |
| 2 Apr 2024 | 10-Q | View on sec.gov |
Company profile
- Exchange
- Nasdaq
- Sector
- Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management
- Industry
- Business Services
- Headquarters
- ROCHESTER, New York
- Chief executive
- John B. Gibson
- Employees
- 16,000
- Website
- paychex.com
- SEC CIK
- 0000723531
Paychex, Inc. provides integrated human capital management solutions for human resources (HR), payroll, benefits, and insurance services for small to medium-sized businesses in the United States and Europe. The company markets and sells its services primarily through its direct sales force.
Sector and peers
Paychex Inc. is part of the Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management sector, which FundSpec tracks across 43 companies.
In FundSpec: the fair value estimate, the momentum reading, relative valuation against sector and industry peers, unusual options activity and AI model signals for PAYX are available to subscribers, with the same screen in the iOS and Android apps.
Open PAYX in FundSpec