Key facts, as of
As of November 2, 2026, Paychex Inc. (PAYX) trades at $115.77, down 1.1% over the past year. Its 52-week range runs from $85.45 to $127.98; the price is 9.5% below that high. It is 28.2% below its all-time high of $161.24, reached in June 2025. Over the 10 years to the end of October 2026, with dividends reinvested, it returned +177.7%, against +316.3% for the S&P 500 (SPY). It sits 11.9% above its 200-day average of $103.45, and its 50-day average is above the 200-day too: an uptrend on both averages. Its 30-day volatility is 34.6% annualized, which we rate high risk. It has a trailing P/E of 23.0 and a dividend yield of 4.25%.
Cite: Portfolio Terminal, "Paychex Inc. (PAYX) stock analysis", 2026-11-02. https://portfolio-terminal.com/analyse/payx
Where it trades today
trading 71% of the way up its 52-week range
How the price has moved
How far it is from its record
Paychex Inc. (PAYX) is 28.2% below its all-time high of $161.24, reached in June 2025. Over the 10 years to the end of October 2026, with dividends reinvested, it returned +177.7%, against +316.3% for the S&P 500 (SPY).
The read, from its own figures
What its numbers say
- PAYX closes above its 50-day average ($112.63), and the 50-day sits above the 200-day ($103.45): on both averages the chart reads as an uptrend.
- At $115.77, PAYX is 9.5% below its 1-year high of $127.98, set on September 1, 2026, and 35.5% above its 1-year low of $85.45 (April 10, 2026).
- Over the past month PAYX rose 17.0%, from $98.94 to $115.77.
- PAYX trades at 23.0x its last twelve months of earnings and 18.1x the next twelve months' estimate, so analysts expect earnings 26.8% higher.
- Its P/E is 13.6% below the 26.6x median of the 3 other staffing & employment services companies we track (ADP, BR, PAYC).
- PAYX's 30-day volatility, 34.6% a year, works out to a typical daily move of about 2.2%.
- Yahoo Finance puts its beta at 0.80: over five years of monthly returns, PAYX moved about 0.80% for each 1% move of the S&P 500.
- The last session traded 0.3x PAYX's average daily volume of the 30 sessions before it.
What would change the read
- A close under the 50-day average, $112.63 (−2.7% from the last close), would turn the read to a pullback; under the 200-day, $103.45 (−10.6%), the longer rise is in question.
- A close above $127.98 (+10.5%) would be a new 1-year high; below $85.45 (−26.2%), a new 1-year low.
How it is computed
- Prices are Yahoo Finance's daily candles for PAYX, the same ones the chart below draws; the P/E, forward P/E and beta are Yahoo Finance quote fields.
- The averages are simple means of the last 50 and 200 closes; the 1-year high and low are the highest high and lowest low of the last 252 sessions; the 30-day volatility is the standard deviation of the past month's daily returns, annualized with the square root of 252.
- Peers are the other companies Yahoo Finance files under staffing & employment services among the assets we track, not a full industry screen; the median counts those with a positive P/E.
- Every sentence here is written by code from those figures, refreshed daily; nobody edits it for PAYX by hand. It describes what the price and the multiples have done, not what they will do, and it is not advice.
Sources
- Yahoo Finance quote and daily historyopen →
The candles, the averages' inputs and the quote fields used for PAYX. Last refresh: Nov 2, 2026, 7:10 PM UTC.
- How Portfolio Terminal computes its figuresopen →
The methodology page behind the analytics and their refresh cadence.
- Industry classification
Yahoo Finance's industry, as stored in our list of tracked assets: Staffing & Employment Services.
What Paychex Inc. does
Paychex, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides human capital management solutions (HCM) for human resources, payroll processing, employee benefits, and insurance services for small to medium-sized businesses in the United States, Europe, Canada, India, and Israel. It offers technology and advisory solutions; and payroll tax administration services. The company also provides retirement solutions, such as plan implementation, ongoing compliance with government regulations, employee and employer reporting, participant and employer online access, electronic funds transfer, and other administrative services; HCM solutions from recruiting and hiring to retirement; and talent management…
What analysts expect
PAYX carries a hold consensus from 14 analysts, with an average price target of $114.57 versus $115.77 today (-1.0%). Targets are estimates and can move quickly after earnings.
Consensus aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Targets are estimates, not forecasts.
How the business is doing
PAYX generated $6.60B in trailing revenue (5.9% year over year), with a 27.4% net margin, and $1.89B of free cash flow, against $3.69B of net debt.
The numbers, year by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Gross profit | Operating income | Net income | EPS | Free cash flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $6.51B | $4.84B | $2.51B | $1.76B | $4.90 | $2.32B |
| 2025 | $5.57B | $4.03B | $2.21B | $1.66B | $4.60 | $1.71B |
| 2024 | $5.28B | $3.80B | $2.17B | $1.69B | $4.69 | $1.74B |
| 2023 | $5.01B | $3.55B | $2.03B | $1.56B | $4.32 | $1.56B |
When it reports next
Estimates aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Dates move and estimates change until the report lands.
Which ETFs hold it
PAYX is in 20 of the 54 ETFs we track. It weighs most in SCHD: 0.86% of the fund, holding #31 of 100.
How its figures compare with those peers
Companies in the same industry
PAYX beside the other companies Yahoo Finance files under staffing & employment services among the assets we track (ADP, BR, PAYC, largest first).
PAYXyou are here$115.77$41.21B
ADPAutomatic Data Processing$299.80$118.35B
BRBroadridge Financial$183.64$20.73B
PAYCPaycom Software$270.03$12.17BWhat the chart is saying
In an uptrend, pressing toward $118.38 resistance.
uptrend- Price is 2.8% above its 50-day average and 11.9% above its 200-day.
- The 50-day crossed above the 200-day on 2026-07-30 (a “golden cross”).
- RSI at 59 is neither stretched nor washed out.
- The nearest ceiling is $118.38 (+2.3%), the nearest floor $114.18 (-1.4%).
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
How is PAYX valued right now?
Paychex Inc. trades at 23.0 times its last twelve months of earnings and 18.1 times the next twelve months' estimate (Yahoo Finance, November 2, 2026). On the chart: in an uptrend, pressing toward $118.38 resistance. Price is 2.8% above its 50-day average and 11.9% above its 200-day.
What is the risk level of PAYX?
Based on 30-day volatility of 34.6%, PAYX has HIGH risk. Its beta of 0.80 means it has swung less than the S&P 500 over the last five years.
Does PAYX pay dividends?
Yes, Paychex Inc. has a dividend yield of 4.25%.
How far is PAYX from its all-time high?
Paychex Inc. is 28.2% below its all-time high of $161.24, reached in June 2025. Over the 10 years to the end of October 2026, with dividends reinvested, it returned +177.7%, against +316.3% for the S&P 500 (SPY).
Which ETFs hold PAYX?
20 of the 54 popular ETFs we track hold Paychex Inc.. The largest weights: SCHD (0.86%), XLI (0.67%), VO (0.31%), RSP (0.19%) and QQQ (0.17%). Measured on each issuer's full holdings file, dated September 30 to October 18, 2026.
How much of VOO is PAYX?
0.05%, as of September 30, 2026: PAYX is holding #293 of 505 in Vanguard's file for VOO. $1,000 in VOO puts about $0.48 in Paychex Inc..
What is the analyst price target for PAYX?
The average analyst price target for Paychex Inc. (PAYX) is $114.57 based on 14 analyst estimates, about 1.0% below the current price of $115.77. The published range runs from $96.00 to $150.00.
How much revenue does PAYX generate?
Paychex Inc. reported $6.60B in trailing twelve-month revenue. Revenue growth is running at 5.9% year over year. Net margin sits at 27.4%. Figures are aggregated from company filings by Yahoo Finance and refresh on an hourly cadence.
Compare PAYX with anything
Five years side by side: what $10,000 became, how far each fell, whether they move together.