Willis Investment Counsel Has $25.14 Million Stake in Automatic Data Processing, Inc. $ADP

Willis Investment Counsel increased its position in shares of Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADP) by 8.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 85,656 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,319 shares during the period. Automatic Data Processing makes up about 1.4% of Willis Investment Counsel’s portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Willis Investment Counsel’s holdings in Automatic Data Processing were worth $25,140,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Jacobsen Capital Management grew its position in shares of Automatic Data Processing by 3.8% during the 2nd quarter. Jacobsen Capital Management now owns 907 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $280,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Signature Wealth Management Group grew its position in Automatic Data Processing by 2.3% during the second quarter. Signature Wealth Management Group now owns 1,450 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $447,000 after buying an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. PGIM Custom Harvest LLC increased its stake in Automatic Data Processing by 4.9% during the 2nd quarter. PGIM Custom Harvest LLC now owns 722 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $223,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the period. Texas Yale Capital Corp. raised its holdings in Automatic Data Processing by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. Texas Yale Capital Corp. now owns 8,333 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $2,570,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Heritage Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Automatic Data Processing by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. Heritage Wealth Management Inc. now owns 3,340 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,030,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. 80.03% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Automatic Data Processing Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of Automatic Data Processing stock opened at $233.34 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $257.09 and its 200 day moving average is $276.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $93.95 billion, a PE ratio of 22.46 and a beta of 0.85. Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has a 1 year low of $230.78 and a 1 year high of $329.93. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62.

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

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

Automatic Data Processing Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be issued a dividend of $1.70 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $6.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. Automatic Data Processing’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 65.38%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP David Kwon sold 806 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $264.80, for a total transaction of $213,428.80. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 11,187 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,962,317.60. The trade was a 6.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Christopher D’ambrosio sold 543 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $262.29, for a total transaction of $142,423.47. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 9,998 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,622,375.42. This trade represents a 5.15% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 2,249 shares of company stock worth $589,852 in the last 90 days. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently commented on the company. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an “underperform” rating and issued a $230.00 price target (down previously from $245.00) on shares of Automatic Data Processing in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Automatic Data Processing from $311.00 to $274.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Cantor Fitzgerald assumed coverage on shares of Automatic Data Processing in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $306.00 price target for the company. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on shares of Automatic Data Processing from $290.00 to $280.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Automatic Data Processing from $295.00 to $275.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Automatic Data Processing currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $290.83.

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.