Key facts, as of
As of October 8, 2026, Automatic Data Processing (ADP) trades at $264.00, down 9.9% over the past year. Its 52-week range runs from $188.16 to $292.80; the price is 9.8% below that high. It is 20.0% below its all-time high of $329.93, reached in June 2025. Over the 10 years to the end of September 2026, with dividends reinvested, it returned +264.3%, against +312.9% for the S&P 500 (SPY). It sits 10.9% above its 200-day average of $237.97, the usual sign of a long-term uptrend. Its 30-day volatility is 20.2% annualized, which we rate medium risk. It has a trailing P/E of 24.1 and a dividend yield of 2.58%.
Cite: Portfolio Terminal, "Automatic Data Processing (ADP) stock analysis", 2026-10-08. https://portfolio-terminal.com/analyse/adp
Where it trades today
trading 72% of the way up its 52-week range
How the price has moved
How far it is from its record
Automatic Data Processing (ADP) is 20.0% below its all-time high of $329.93, reached in June 2025. Over the 10 years to the end of September 2026, with dividends reinvested, it returned +264.3%, against +312.9% for the S&P 500 (SPY).
What to weigh before acting
What Matters Now
- Order-book quality, backlog conversion, and operating leverage usually tell you more than a single quarter of revenue growth.
- ADP trades at 24.1x earnings, well above the industrials average of 18.5x, so the market is already pricing in above-consensus execution.
- ADP carries a beta of 0.84, which means the stock should be judged on how it affects total portfolio swings, not just on standalone upside.
- Relative performance versus CAT, HON matters here because leadership inside industrials rarely stays static for long.
Portfolio Use Case
- ADP is more relevant for investors who want some income support alongside price appreciation, not just pure growth exposure.
- The beta profile suggests it can fit a quality or lower-volatility sleeve more naturally than a high-octane tactical basket.
- This page is most useful for deciding whether the stock deserves a permanent slot in the portfolio or just a place on the watchlist.
What Would Change the View
- A reset in earnings expectations or a faster peer catch-up could compress the premium valuation currently embedded in ADP.
- The view would need revisiting if peers such as CAT, HON start winning the marginal flow or posting cleaner operating momentum.
Methodology
- Price, market cap, beta, yield, and liquidity fields for ADP come from Yahoo Finance quote and summary data.
- 30-day volatility is calculated from recent daily returns and annualized using a 252-trading-day convention.
- Sector context uses stored benchmark averages for Industrials so each page compares the ticker against a stable peer baseline rather than against the whole market.
- Peer comparisons use the Portfolio Terminal coverage set and highlight nearby listed alternatives such as CAT, HON.
Sources
- Yahoo Finance quote dataopen →
Live quote, valuation, beta, yield, and volume fields used for ADP. Last refresh: Oct 8, 2026, 10:10 AM.
- Portfolio Terminal methodologyopen →
Explains how analytics, refresh cadence, and portfolio interpretation work across the product.
- Peer set and coverage context
Comparative context for this page is anchored around nearby tracked names such as CAT, HON.
What Automatic Data Processing does
Automatic Data Processing, Inc. provides cloud-based human capital management (HCM) 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. This segment's offerings include RUN Powered by ADP, a software platform for small business payroll, HR, and compliance; ADP Workforce Now, a HCM solution used across mid-sized and large businesses to manage employees; and ADP Lyric HCM, a solution for HR management, payroll, workforce management, talent, and data analytics. Its PEO Services segment provides HR outsourcing…
What analysts expect
ADP carries a hold consensus from 15 analysts, with an average price target of $286.40 versus $264.00 today (+8.5%). Targets are estimates and can move quickly after earnings.
Consensus aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Targets are estimates, not forecasts.
How the business is doing
ADP generated $21.95B in trailing revenue (6.8% year over year), with a 20.1% net margin, and $5.24B of free cash flow, against $1.28B of net debt.
The numbers, year by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Gross profit | Operating income | Net income | EPS | Free cash flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $21.95B | $10.19B | $5.78B | $4.41B | — | $4.78B |
| 2025 | $20.56B | $9.46B | $5.41B | $4.08B | $10.02 | $4.39B |
| 2024 | $19.20B | $8.73B | $4.95B | $3.75B | $9.14 | $3.59B |
| 2023 | $18.01B | $8.06B | $4.51B | $3.41B | $8.25 | $3.64B |
When it reports next
Estimates aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Dates move and estimates change until the report lands.
Which ETFs hold it
ADP is in 11 of the 30 ETFs we track. It weighs most in SCHD: 2.64% of the fund, holding #18 of 100.
Famous investors who hold it
ADP is in the latest 13F of 1 of the 15 famous investors we follow. Terry Smith (Fundsmith) holds the most of it: 4.27% of the portfolio, position #12 of 41, as of Q2 2026.
How it sits in industrials
Manufacturing, aerospace, defense, and infrastructure companies.
The companies it competes with
ADP beside the industrials names it is usually measured against.
What the chart is saying
Slipped under its 50-day average inside a longer uptrend.
weakening- Price is 2.8% below its 50-day average and 10.9% above its 200-day.
- The 50-day crossed above the 200-day on 2026-08-03 (a “golden cross”).
- RSI at 47 is neither stretched nor washed out.
- The nearest ceiling is $279.51 (+5.9%), the nearest floor $249.50 (-5.5%).
A description of the chart, not advice. Indicators describe what the price has done; none of them knows what it does next.
Questions people ask about it
Is ADP a good investment in 2026?
Automatic Data Processing trades at a P/E ratio of 24.1, with medium volatility (20.2% annualized). The stock is in a consolidation phase.
What is the risk level of ADP?
Based on 30-day volatility of 20.2%, ADP has MEDIUM risk. Beta of 0.84 indicates lower sensitivity to market movements than average.
Does ADP pay dividends?
Yes, Automatic Data Processing has a dividend yield of 2.58%.
How far is ADP from its all-time high?
Automatic Data Processing is 20.0% below its all-time high of $329.93, reached in June 2025. Over the 10 years to the end of September 2026, with dividends reinvested, it returned +264.3%, against +312.9% for the S&P 500 (SPY).
Which ETFs hold ADP?
11 of the 30 popular ETFs we track hold Automatic Data Processing. The largest weights: SCHD (2.64%), XLI (1.94%), VIG (0.49%), VYM (0.46%) and QQQ (0.44%). Measured on each issuer's full holdings file, dated August 31 to October 1, 2026.
How much of VOO is ADP?
0.17%, as of August 31, 2026: ADP is holding #103 of 505 in Vanguard's file for VOO. $1,000 in VOO puts about $1.73 in Automatic Data Processing.
Which famous investors own ADP?
Terry Smith (4.27% of Fundsmith's 13F), according to their latest Form 13F filings with the SEC (Q2 2026). A 13F lists US long positions 45 days after the quarter ends, so it can be out of date.
What is the analyst price target for ADP?
The average analyst price target for Automatic Data Processing (ADP) is $286.40 based on 15 analyst estimates, about 8.5% above the current price of $264.00. The published range runs from $225.00 to $322.00.
How much revenue does ADP generate?
Automatic Data Processing reported $21.95B in trailing twelve-month revenue. Revenue growth is running at 6.8% year over year. Net margin sits at 20.1%. Figures are aggregated from company filings by Yahoo Finance and refresh on an hourly cadence.
Compare ADP with anything
Five years side by side: what $10,000 became, how far each fell, whether they move together.