Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Raises Stock Holdings in Paychex, Inc. $PAYX

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its stake in Paychex, Inc. (NASDAQ:PAYX) by 32.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 28,251 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,971 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ holdings in Paychex were worth $4,095,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of PAYX. NewSquare Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Paychex by 83.8% in the 2nd quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 215 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP bought a new position in Paychex in the first quarter valued at $34,000. Nova Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Paychex during the first quarter valued at about $38,000. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC raised its position in Paychex by 40.6% during the second quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC now owns 263 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Paychex by 94.0% during the second quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 293 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. 83.47% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Paychex Stock Down 1.7%

Shares of NASDAQ PAYX opened at $112.28 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $116.08 and its 200 day moving average is $131.81. Paychex, Inc. has a 52 week low of $108.00 and a 52 week high of $161.24. The company has a quick ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. The company has a market cap of $40.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.46 and a beta of 0.91.

Paychex (NASDAQ:PAYX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, December 19th. The business services provider reported $1.26 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.23 by $0.03. Paychex had a net margin of 27.85% and a return on equity of 45.17%. The business had revenue of $1.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.55 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.14 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Paychex has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.480-5.530 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Paychex, Inc. will post 4.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Paychex Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 26th. Investors of record on Friday, November 7th were issued a dividend of $1.08 per share. This represents a $4.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 7th. Paychex’s payout ratio is currently 97.96%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently commented on PAYX shares. UBS Group reduced their price objective on Paychex from $140.00 to $132.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 2nd. TD Cowen decreased their price target on shares of Paychex from $126.00 to $114.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Paychex from $132.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Paychex in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on shares of Paychex from $140.00 to $121.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Paychex has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $130.60.

Key Stores Impacting Paychex

Here are the key news stories impacting Paychex this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results beat expectations — EPS of $1.26 topped estimates and revenue rose 18.3% year-over-year, driven by management solutions and the recent Paycor contribution. Paychex Q2 Earnings & Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Paycor acquisition helping scale revenue and lift the company’s profit outlook, supporting the stronger top-line and the raised FY26 EPS range. Paychex Scales Fast After Paycor Acquisition
• Positive Sentiment: Company raised FY2026 EPS guidance to $5.48–$5.53, slightly above consensus, signaling management confidence in earnings power despite near-term costs. Paychex Reports Second Quarter Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts were active ahead of the release, with some revisions to estimates — reflecting varied views on growth durability and integration risk. Analysts Revise Forecasts Ahead Of Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Some brokerages remain cautious (example: Stifel maintained a hold), keeping a range of opinions on valuation and growth vs. execution risk. Stifel Maintains Hold
• Negative Sentiment: Higher quarterly expenses (integration, amortization, or operating costs) were highlighted as offsetting some of the upside and tempered investor reaction to the guidance raise. Reuters: Higher Quarterly Expenses Overshadow Forecast Raise

About Paychex

Paychex, Inc, founded in 1971 by B. Thomas “Tom” Golisano and headquartered in Rochester, New York, is a provider of payroll, human resources, and benefits outsourcing solutions for small- and medium-sized businesses. The company’s core services include payroll processing and tax filing, employee benefits administration, retirement services, and workers’ compensation administration, designed to simplify back-office operations and help clients comply with regulatory and tax requirements.

Paychex offers an integrated technology platform, marketed under the Paychex Flex brand, which delivers cloud-based payroll, HR, time and attendance, and reporting tools.