Automatic Data Processing, Inc. $ADP Shares Acquired by Russell Investments Group Ltd.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its holdings in Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADP) by 13.0% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 548,638 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 63,211 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s holdings in Automatic Data Processing were worth $160,988,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Inceptionr LLC raised its position in Automatic Data Processing by 12.5% in the third quarter. Inceptionr LLC now owns 7,637 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $2,241,000 after acquiring an additional 846 shares in the last quarter. Dundas Partners LLP boosted its position in shares of Automatic Data Processing by 19,521.3% during the 3rd quarter. Dundas Partners LLP now owns 151,673 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $44,516,000 after purchasing an additional 150,900 shares in the last quarter. Nutshell Asset Management Ltd grew its stake in shares of Automatic Data Processing by 417.2% during the 3rd quarter. Nutshell Asset Management Ltd now owns 38,791 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $11,385,000 after purchasing an additional 31,291 shares during the period. Private Advisor Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Automatic Data Processing by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 23,161 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $6,798,000 after purchasing an additional 257 shares during the period. Finally, PFG Advisors increased its holdings in shares of Automatic Data Processing by 9.0% in the 3rd quarter. PFG Advisors now owns 20,630 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $6,055,000 after purchasing an additional 1,701 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.03% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Automatic Data Processing news, VP David Foskett sold 266 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $237.00, for a total transaction of $63,042.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 10,954 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,596,098. This trade represents a 2.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Brian L. Michaud sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.18, for a total value of $234,180.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 15,310 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,585,295.80. This trade represents a 6.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 3,515 shares of company stock worth $887,074 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Automatic Data Processing in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Automatic Data Processing from $272.00 to $262.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on Automatic Data Processing in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $306.00 price target on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on Automatic Data Processing from $280.00 to $270.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an “underperform” rating and issued a $230.00 price objective (down from $245.00) on shares of Automatic Data Processing in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $290.00.

Automatic Data Processing Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ADP opened at $226.29 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $238.92 and its 200 day moving average price is $262.83. Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has a 52 week low of $203.26 and a 52 week high of $329.93. The stock has a market cap of $91.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.76 and a beta of 0.86.

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

Automatic Data Processing announced that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Wednesday, January 14th that authorizes the company to buyback $6.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the business services provider to buy up to 5.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Automatic Data Processing Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a dividend of $1.70 per share. This represents a $6.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. Automatic Data Processing’s payout ratio is currently 65.38%.

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.