- Prev close
- $119.50
- Day range
- $115.27 – $117.63
PAYX rose 2.8% alongside a strong payroll-services tape and fresh operating updates showing steady small-business hiring; the move looks broadly supported by intact growth, high margins, and a stable earnings setup.
PAYX
PAYCHEX INC
As of Nov 4, 2026
74/100
Looks healthyHealth ScoreMove driver
PAYX moved 2.8%, versus the S&P 500 at +0.3% and the Nasdaq 100 at +0.6%, while peers were also firm with ADP +2.7%, PAYC +2.0%, PCTY -0.1%, and RHI +2.4%. That pattern points primarily to a sector-wide move in payroll and staffing rather than stock-specific news; the stock’s gain tracked ADP almost one-for-one and was far too large to be explained by the broad indices alone.
Volatility check
This looks like normal, supportable volatility for a quality compounder rather than a fundamental break. PAYX has revenue growth of +14.0% YoY (TTM), latest quarter +5.9% YoY, and EPS +12.9% YoY (TTM), with gross margin +91.3%, operating margin +39.2%, and net margin +27.4%; those are durable numbers, not deteriorating ones. Valuation is not cheap at PE 22.8 and forward PE 18.3, and the PEG of 2.82 — price-to-earnings divided by growth, so it shows what investors pay for each unit of growth — says solid growth is already being paid for. Beta 0.77 also suggests the shares usually move less than the market, so a 2.8% session gain is noticeable but still well within the range of a name that can re-rate on small news. Analyst consensus is mixed but not negative: 4 strong-positive, 4 positive, 16 neutral, 2 negative, 0 strong-negative.
Earnings preview
The next earnings date is 2026-12-17. The facts do not provide full consensus revenue or EPS estimates for that print, so I can’t quote expected growth rates or margin targets for the upcoming report. The recent company updates suggest the market will focus on three things: whether small-business hiring stays steady after October job gains held firm, whether weekly hours worked growth remains positive after eight consecutive months, and whether that operating backdrop still supports PAYX’s revenue growth of +5.9% YoY in the latest quarter and +14.0% YoY TTM. The supplied facts do not include a prior post-earnings reaction pattern, so I won’t infer one.
This report is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. The platform does not recommend buying or selling any security.
Track PAYX with WhyIHold
Get a plain-English explanation the next time PAYCHEX INC makes a big move — so you know whether it's benign or worth your attention.