Paychex (PAYX)
NASDAQIndustrialsSoftware - ApplicationSnapshot 2026-07-31
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Create your account →NASDAQIndustrialsSoftware - ApplicationSnapshot 2026-07-31
Reading PAYX? Create a free portfolio, then add this holding for ongoing Reports and tracking. Track it in a free portfolio. No credit card.
Create your account →Daily closes. Earnings/event dots are placed inline.
Industries move in repeating boom-and-bust cycles. This shows where this stock’s industry sits in that cycle, stage by stage (recovery → expansion → supercycle → steady → deceleration → contraction), from its fundamentals (orders, revenue, capital spending), not the stock’s price.
A booming industry is a tailwind for the names in it; a contracting one is a headwind. Companies in the same industry tend to rise and fall together with the cycle, the way a tide lifts and lowers every boat in the harbor at once, so a large part of a stock’s swing can come from where its industry sits rather than from the company itself. It’s context for reading the company’s results, not a buy/sell call. Full explanation →
Industrials is in steady. Describes the industry's cycle state, not a call on this stock.
The stage band shows the industry’s cycle over the chart’s timeline (each color a stage); a ▼ marks a quarter its growth inflected down — amber is an unconfirmed watch, red is confirmed the next quarter. Use “Overlay cycle on chart” to tint the price chart by stage. The industry’s fundamentals, not a signal on this stock.
The reason to own it still holds.
View ThesisRevenue growth is accelerating — up about 17% over the past year.
View GrowthRanks among the strongest in its industry on quality — around the top 19%.
View QualityManagement screens strong on capital allocation, earnings delivery, market reaction to earnings.
View ManagementExpectations look reasonable — what the market is pricing in sits in line with or below what analysts forecast.
View ValuationThis stock is volatile — it swings about 1% on a typical day and fell roughly 40% in its worst 12-month stretch.
View RiskPaychex (PAYX) aims to grow by integrating its Paycor acquisition and enhancing AI capabilities. Recent earnings showed a 12% revenue increase, and the last quarter beat expectations. It trades at 21× P/E, below the peer median of 24×. The price reflects less growth than expected, indicating it looks expensive. A specific risk is that if PAYX cuts guidance, the stock could decline. Peer multiples imply a price about 14% below where it trades. Our read is provisional.
Trailing returns as of 2026-07-31. PAYX is total return (includes dividends); the S&P 500 benchmark is price return (the index excludes dividends).
Based on 18 analysts currently covering PAYX (as of Jul 2026).
Based on 4 Wall Street analysts offering 12-month price targets for PAYX in the last 4 months.
A consensus fair price across 13 valuation methods, at three horizons. As of 2026-08-01. Estimates are diagnostics, not price targets. Short-horizon estimates are close to coin-flips, so confidence is a method-agreement read, not a prediction.
Today's peer multiple on trailing earnings, with no growth credited. This is the headline read.
Adds projected growth, so it leans optimistic by design. Read it as upside context, not a base case.
A price-focused, side-by-side fair-value read versus Human Resource & Employment Services — fair value, gap to price, and forward P/E.
Advances: Integrate Paycor acquisition to expand upmarket and AI capabilities
Insider filing indicates commitment to upmarket integration.
Not investment advice. Scores describe historical and current data; they are not forecasts of future returns. Consult a licensed advisor before making investment decisions.
End-of-day figures as of 2026-07-31. EPS is implied from price ÷ P/E. Not investment advice.
Current $116.84
The last 12 months of price, then the range of analyst 12-month targets from today’s $116.84.
Analyst ratings and price targets are third-party Wall Street estimates, not QuarterlyIQ’s view. Not investment advice.
A long-thesis check that carries the widest uncertainty of the three horizons.
Around the middle on quality vs scored peers
Direction of the business behind the multiple. Bands are backend reads; trailing-12-month basis.
Advances: Integrate Paycor acquisition to expand upmarket and AI capabilities
Strong results validate AI integration and growth potential.
Price target cut indicates revenue growth concerns.
Outlook aligns with growth objectives for FY 2027.
Advances: Increase EPS by 10% to 11% in fiscal 2026
Earnings call confirms strong operating margin supports EPS growth.
Strong results but growth concerns may impact future performance.
Earnings beat indicates strong operational performance.
Threatens: Increase EPS by 10% to 11% in fiscal 2026
EPS beat but stock slide indicates market concerns.