Automatic Data Processing, Inc. $ADP Stock Position Decreased by Howard Capital Management Inc.

Howard Capital Management Inc. cut its stake in shares of Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADP) by 76.5% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 11,769 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 38,294 shares during the quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Automatic Data Processing were worth $3,454,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. OneAscent Investment Solutions LLC increased its stake in Automatic Data Processing by 41.4% in the 3rd quarter. OneAscent Investment Solutions LLC now owns 1,891 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $555,000 after purchasing an additional 554 shares in the last quarter. National Pension Service increased its position in shares of Automatic Data Processing by 2.3% in the third quarter. National Pension Service now owns 866,338 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $254,270,000 after acquiring an additional 19,619 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Automatic Data Processing during the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Town & Country Bank & Trust CO dba First Bankers Trust CO lifted its position in shares of Automatic Data Processing by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Town & Country Bank & Trust CO dba First Bankers Trust CO now owns 9,437 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $2,770,000 after acquiring an additional 182 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pegasus Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in Automatic Data Processing by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. Pegasus Asset Management Inc. now owns 9,556 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $2,805,000 after purchasing an additional 226 shares during the period. 80.03% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Automatic Data Processing

In other Automatic Data Processing news, VP Christopher D’ambrosio sold 543 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $262.29, for a total transaction of $142,423.47. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 9,998 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,622,375.42. This represents a 5.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP David Kwon sold 806 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $264.80, for a total value of $213,428.80. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 11,187 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,962,317.60. This trade represents a 6.72% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 2,249 shares of company stock valued at $589,852. Corporate insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Automatic Data Processing Stock Performance

ADP stock opened at $246.82 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $258.36 and a two-hundred day moving average of $277.93. Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has a 12 month low of $243.68 and a 12 month high of $329.93. The company has a market capitalization of $99.83 billion, a price-to-earnings 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.

Automatic Data Processing (NASDAQ:ADP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The business services provider reported $2.62 earnings per share (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 analyst estimates of $5.34 billion. Automatic Data Processing had a net margin of 19.96% and a return on equity of 68.44%. Automatic Data Processing’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.35 EPS. Automatic Data Processing has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.091-11.011 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Automatic Data Processing, Inc. will post 9.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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

Automatic Data Processing Announces Dividend

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 paid a $1.70 dividend. This represents a $6.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. Automatic Data Processing’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 65.38%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have issued reports on ADP. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Automatic Data Processing from $295.00 to $275.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Automatic Data Processing from $311.00 to $274.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Automatic Data Processing from $303.00 to $265.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated an “underperform” rating and issued a $230.00 target price (down previously from $245.00) on shares of Automatic Data Processing in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $295.38.

More 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 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.