BTIG Research Has Lowered Expectations for Paylocity (NASDAQ:PCTY) Stock Price

Paylocity (NASDAQ:PCTY) had its price objective decreased by research analysts at BTIG Research from $180.00 to $150.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday, Marketbeat reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the software maker’s stock. BTIG Research’s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 27.28% from the company’s previous close.

Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on PCTY. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Paylocity in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Citizens Jmp reduced their price objective on shares of Paylocity from $270.00 to $245.00 and set a “market outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Paylocity from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 10th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on shares of Paylocity from $185.00 to $150.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Finally, JMP Securities set a $245.00 price target on Paylocity in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $183.14.

Paylocity Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:PCTY opened at $117.85 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $145.27 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $156.69. The stock has a market cap of $6.41 billion, a PE ratio of 27.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.47 and a beta of 0.54. Paylocity has a one year low of $113.70 and a one year high of $223.80.

Paylocity (NASDAQ:PCTY) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The software maker reported $1.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.57 by $0.28. The business had revenue of $416.13 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $408.37 million. Paylocity had a return on equity of 23.03% and a net margin of 14.19%.The business’s revenue was up 10.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.52 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Paylocity will post 4.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Paylocity news, CFO Ryan Glenn sold 1,737 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $143.65, for a total transaction of $249,520.05. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 77,229 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,093,945.85. This trade represents a 2.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 19.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Paylocity

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Paylocity in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its stake in Paylocity by 363.4% during the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 190 shares of the software maker’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 149 shares during the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new stake in Paylocity during the third quarter worth about $38,000. Pilgrim Partners Asia Pte Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Paylocity in the 3rd quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, Allworth Financial LP lifted its stake in shares of Paylocity by 88.0% in the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 282 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 132 shares in the last quarter. 94.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Paylocity News

Here are the key news stories impacting Paylocity this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 beat — Paylocity reported EPS of $1.85 vs. $1.57 expected and total revenue of $416.1M (up 10.4% YoY), showing solid recurring-revenue growth that supports long-term profitability. GlobeNewswire Q2 Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Strong cash flow and buybacks — trailing‑12‑month operating cash flow and free‑cash‑flow margins remain robust; company repurchased $100M (~690k shares) in Q2 and ~$600M (~3.7M shares) since May 2024, supporting EPS and shareholder returns. GlobeNewswire Q2 Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Product and distribution drivers — management highlighted product expansion and growth through the broker channel as sources of upside to bookings and longer‑term revenue. MSN deep dive
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings materials available — full slide deck and call transcript provide more detail on client metrics and product road map for investors who want to dig into assumptions. MarketBeat earnings packet Seeking Alpha transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance disappointed — management’s FY26 and Q3 revenue guidance came in below consensus (Q3 guidance midpoint well under street estimates), which is the main near‑term catalyst behind the selloff as it suggests slower near‑term top‑line momentum. MarketBeat guidance summary
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst price‑target cuts — multiple firms (Citigroup, Truist, Citizens JMP, Mizuho, BTIG, BMO) reduced targets today (ratings largely remain buy/outperform), trimming upside and adding near‑term selling pressure despite retained positive views. Benzinga coverage

Paylocity Company Profile

Paylocity (NASDAQ: PCTY) is a leading provider of cloud-based payroll and human capital management (HCM) software designed to streamline workforce administration for mid-sized organizations. The company’s integrated platform automates core functions such as payroll processing, benefits administration, time and labor tracking, and compliance management, enabling employers to manage employee data more efficiently and reduce administrative burdens.

In addition to payroll and HR capabilities, Paylocity offers talent management solutions including recruiting, onboarding, performance tracking, and learning management.