Paychex stock
PAYXNASDAQPaychex, Inc., IndustrialsISIN US7043261079
80Score 80 out of 100, Strong
Price and trend
82 / 100
Price history
+3.7% in one yearThe chart shows daily closes over 20 years, adjusted for stock splits and without dividends. Click into the chart to set a price alert at that price.
Above the 200-day line: the price is 11% above it.
Since July 2026 the 50-day line has been above the 200-day line; the trend has turned up.
Normal: the price is neither overheated nor sold off (RSI 45).
The price is 9.5% below its 52-week high. Largest decline in 20 years: 56% (August 2007 to March 2009).
Chart figures for advanced users
- SMA 50$111.15
- Average price of the last 50 trading days, shows the short-term trend.
- SMA 200$103.84
- Average price of the last 200 trading days, shows the long-term trend.
- RSI (14)45
- Relative strength over the last 14 days on a scale from 0 to 100. Above 70 the price counts as overheated, below 30 as sharply fallen.
- MACDabove the signal line
- Compares a fast and a slow price average. Above its signal line momentum is rising, below it momentum is fading.
- Support$85.57
- The lowest closing price of the last twelve months.
- Resistance$127.34
- The highest closing price of the last twelve months.
Snapshot
Computed from the data by fixed rules, no AI
- Paychex, Inc. belongs to the Staffing & Employment Services industry (United States) and, with a market value of $41B, is the largest of 19 companies in its industry on MEQIRI.
- In fiscal 2026 it reported revenue of $6.51B (up 16.9% year on year) and earnings of $1.76B (up 6.2%).
- For fiscal 2027, analysts expect on average revenue of $6.86B (up 5.4%) and adjusted earnings per share of $5.96 (up 8.2%).
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- MEQIRI Score 80 out of 100 (Strong): rank 15 of 1023 in Industrials, median 61.
- The P/E is 22.7 (Staffing & Employment Services median 18.3, own median of recent years 25.9).
- Our model puts fair value at $110.14, with the price 5% above it.
In plain words
The numbers on this page in plain words, written by an AI
Strengths
- Reliable dividendNo dividend cut for over 38 years.Capital allocation 84
- High marginNet margin 27.4% over the last 12 months, Staffing & Employment Services median 1.3%.Profitability 97
- High return on capitalReturn on invested capital 26.1% in fiscal 2026, Staffing & Employment Services median 5.2%.Profitability 97
Weaknesses
- High debtDebt 1.25 times equity (latest quarter), Staffing & Employment Services median 0.47.Stability 66
Its standout strengths are fundamentals and profitability.
Daily figure as of 12 Nov 2026
How the score is calculatedScore overview
Fundamentals are strong, with stable profits and strong cash generation.
Score history
The full history of up to 20 years comes with MEQIRI Pro.
See plansCrash risk low
How well MEQIRI warnsOne of the 30% with the lowest crash risk among stocks ranked 101 to 1,000.
From 2016 to 2025, 9 in 100 such stocks fell 30% or more within a year, against a group average of 15 in 100.
What lowers it
- solid fundamentals
Valuation
Valuation signal
Fairly valuedClosing price of 11 Nov 2026, used by the daily score.
In our model the price counts as cheap below $84.72 and expensive above $157.34 (uncertainty medium, based on the price swings of the past year).
The two parts of the fair value come to $127.80 (cash-flow model) and $92.48 (industry comparison), and the gap between them shows how uncertain the estimate is.
Calculated with a cost of equity of 8.8%. At 9.8% the fair value would be $99.39, at 7.8% it would be $126.27.
Valuation metrics
Half from the cash-flow model, half from earnings times the industry P/E (18.3).
Calculate with your own assumptionsCompany performance
This shows several years of history with an automatic assessment.
Revenue
In the twelve months to 31 Aug 2026, revenue rose 14% on the twelve months before. Revenue has grown solidly since 2007, at about 7% per year.
Margins
- Gross margin
- Operating margin
- Net margin
In fiscal 2026: gross 74%, operating 39%, net 27%.
Debt & balance sheet
latest quarterMeaningfully leveraged, but the interest bill is comfortably covered.
Earnings
- Next earnings
- 18 Dec 2026in 36 days
- Last reported
- 23 Sep 2026EPS reported $1.34 (expected $1.32)in line with expectations
Analyst estimates
Earnings estimates have barely changed since 15 Oct 2026.
- Earnings per share
- $5.960.0%
- Revenue
- $6.86B0.0%
- Earnings per share
- $6.410.0%
- Revenue
- $7.24B0.0%
MEQIRI has stored the estimates since 15 Oct 2026. Until 30 days are available, the card shows the change since that day. Mean estimate according to Financial Modeling Prep. No price target and no recommendation.
Company outlook raised
Share price after the results: −11.3%Full year guidance was reaffirmed, but PEO and Insurance Solutions revenue growth was raised to 7% to 8% and interest on funds held for clients is now $200 million to $210 million after the latest rate increase.
“Interest on funds held for clients is now expected to be in the range of $200 million to $210 million, which includes the most recent 25 basis point increase to the Fed funds rate.”The outlook is not part of the score and not a recommendation to buy or sell.
From the earnings call on 23 Sep 2026 (fiscal Q1 2027), read by AI.
Insiders
Open-market purchases and sales by executives, board members and major holders
No open-market purchases in the last 6 months. 6 insiders sold, $4.62M in total.
Sales say less than purchases: many insiders sell on a fixed plan, for taxes or to diversify.
Source: Form 4 filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Grants, option exercises, gifts and tax withholdings are hidden. Not a recommendation to buy.
What happened at Paychex
The key events of the last six months from our own data. A click takes you to the matching card.
Sector comparison
1023 rated companies in Industrials
- This company
- 80
- Sector median
- 61
Categories against the sector median
The median is the middle value: half of the companies in the sector lie above it, half below. Categories with too few comparable companies are left out.
Competitors in Staffing & Employment Services
The next smaller companies by market value
- RandstadRAND.AS $8.03B61
- Adecco GroupADEN.SW $4.76B58
- Robert HalfRHI $4.32B61
- Korn FerryKFY $4.15B81
- TriNet GroupTNET $3B65
- ManpowerGroupMAN $2.14B58
- InsperityNSP $1.91B49
- UpworkUPWK $1.23B71
ETFs that hold Paychex
Held by 137 ETFs on Xetra. Shown per index: the ETF with the largest weight.
| ETF | Weight | Cost | Fund size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invesco S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility UCITS ETFHDLV | 2.20% | 0.30% | €357.87M |
| Franklin Global Quality Dividend UCITS ETFFLXX | 1.37% | 0.30% | €127.44M |
| Amundi US Tech 100 Equal Weight UCITS ETF DR USDWEBA | 1.34% | 0.07% | €340.27M |
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| Fidelity US Quality Income UCITS ETF INC-USDFUSD | 0.74% | 0.25% | €1.89B |
| State Street SPDR S&P U.S. Industrials Select Sector UCITS ETF (Acc)ZPDI | 0.74% | 0.15% | €874.42M |
| UBS Factor MSCI USA Low Volatility UCITS ETF USD disUBUR | 0.74% | 0.18% | €64.75M |
| iShares S&P 500 Industrials Sector UCITS ETF2B7C | 0.70% | 0.15% | €635.94M |
| iShares MSCI USA Quality Dividend Advanced UCITS ETFQDVD | 0.57% | 0.35% | €777.04M |
Holdings as reported by the funds via FMP, excluding swap ETFs (their holdings are only collateral).
Data status and sources
- Score
- Daily value of 12 Nov 2026, recalculated nightly
- Price
- Closing price of 12 Nov 2026
- Latest annual report
- Fiscal year 2026, period end 31 May 2026
- Source
- Financial statements, ratios and prices from Financial Modeling Prep (FMP), based on the company's reports. MEQIRI calculates the score and fair value from them.
Mandatory disclosures for this rating
- ; time horizon around 12 months
- Rated Strong, published since 7 Nov 2026 (in the score history since 17 Apr 2026)
- Valuation signal Fairly valued since 7 Nov 2026
- End-of-day prices, metrics cached for up to 24 hours
- Score and fair value are estimates from a disclosed model. They are not facts and not a price target.
- Produced by SSM Ventures UG (haftungsbeschränkt), responsible person Sven Brostmeyer, Managing Director, automatically according to the disclosed model.
- Not investment advice. Losses up to and including a total loss are possible. Personal circumstances are not considered.