Automatic Data Processing, Inc. $ADP Shares Sold by Howard Capital Management Inc.

Howard Capital Management Inc. lessened its position in shares of Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADP) by 76.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 11,769 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 38,294 shares during the period. Howard Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Automatic Data Processing were worth $3,454,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Automatic Data Processing by 30,110.7% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,668,758 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,439,845,000 after buying an additional 4,653,304 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in Automatic Data Processing in the second quarter worth about $696,841,000. Amundi boosted its stake in Automatic Data Processing by 24.9% in the second quarter. Amundi now owns 3,109,120 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $948,549,000 after acquiring an additional 619,829 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in shares of Automatic Data Processing by 26.6% during the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,812,637 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $867,445,000 after purchasing an additional 591,800 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its position in shares of Automatic Data Processing by 13.5% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,576,681 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,411,449,000 after purchasing an additional 544,968 shares during the period. 80.03% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Automatic Data Processing Stock Performance

Shares of ADP opened at $246.82 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $99.83 billion, a PE ratio of 23.73 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $258.36 and a 200 day moving average price of $277.93. Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.68 and a 52-week high of $329.93.

Automatic Data Processing (NASDAQ:ADP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The business services provider reported $2.62 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.57 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.34 billion. Automatic Data Processing had a net margin of 19.96% and a return on equity of 68.44%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.35 EPS. Automatic Data Processing has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.091-11.011 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Automatic Data Processing, Inc. will post 9.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Automatic Data Processing Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a dividend of $1.70 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $6.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. Automatic Data Processing’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 65.38%.

Automatic Data Processing announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback program on Wednesday, January 14th that allows the company to buyback $6.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the business services provider to purchase up to 5.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently commented on ADP. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on Automatic Data Processing from $290.00 to $280.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Automatic Data Processing from $311.00 to $274.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an “underperform” rating and issued a $230.00 price objective (down previously from $245.00) on shares of Automatic Data Processing in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Automatic Data Processing in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of Automatic Data Processing from $303.00 to $265.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $295.38.

Insider Buying and Selling at Automatic Data Processing

In related news, VP Christopher D’ambrosio sold 543 shares of Automatic Data Processing stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $262.29, for a total transaction of $142,423.47. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 9,998 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,622,375.42. The trade was a 5.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP David Kwon sold 900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $260.00, for a total transaction of $234,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 11,993 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,118,180. The trade was a 6.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 2,249 shares of company stock worth $589,852. 0.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Automatic Data Processing News

Here are the key news stories impacting Automatic Data Processing this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 / Q2 results and guidance — ADP beat revenue and EPS estimates, showed broad-based growth and margin stability, and set FY26 EPS guidance above street projections; management reiterated an upbeat outlook and a buyback. These execution and capital-allocation signals support the stock’s upward reaction. ADP Q4 Deep Dive
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings call takeaways — summaries and highlights (management tone, buyback, and stronger Employer Services performance) reinforced the beat-and-raise narrative that underpins near-term fundamentals. ADP Earnings Call Highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: New coverage and analyst reports — Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage and independent analyst notes (Argus) provide fresh research flow that can increase trading interest but are mixed in directional impact. Coverage Initiated at Cantor Fitzgerald Analyst Report: Automatic Data Processing Inc.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple price‑target cuts and downgrades — Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, JPMorgan, Wells Fargo and Stifel trimmed targets and moved to neutral/underweight/hold stances, signaling reduced analyst conviction and pressuring investor sentiment despite upside still implied by some revised targets. Benzinga coverage of analyst actions
• Negative Sentiment: 52‑week low headline — reports that ADP hit a 52‑week low attract attention and can trigger short-term selling or defensive positioning by momentum and quant funds. Adp stock hits 52-week low

Automatic Data Processing Company Profile

Automatic Data Processing, Inc (ADP) is a global provider of cloud-based human capital management (HCM) and payroll solutions. Founded in 1949 and headquartered in Roseland, New Jersey, ADP began as a payroll processing company and has evolved into a diversified provider of workforce management, HR, benefits administration, tax and compliance services, and analytics for employers of all sizes.

ADP’s product portfolio includes payroll processing and tax filing, time and attendance systems, benefits administration, talent management, and HR outsourcing.