Banque Pictet & Cie SA Acquires 36,211 Shares of Automatic Data Processing, Inc. $ADP

Banque Pictet & Cie SA increased its holdings in Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADP) by 312.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 47,816 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 36,211 shares during the period. Banque Pictet & Cie SA’s holdings in Automatic Data Processing were worth $12,300,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in ADP. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC increased its stake in Automatic Data Processing by 141.5% in the 3rd quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 13,283 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $3,899,000 after acquiring an additional 7,782 shares during the last quarter. Mitchell Capital Management Co. raised its holdings in shares of Automatic Data Processing by 325.0% during the 3rd quarter. Mitchell Capital Management Co. now owns 6,800 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,996,000 after acquiring an additional 5,200 shares in the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp boosted its position in shares of Automatic Data Processing by 136.0% during the 3rd quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 47,974 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $14,080,000 after acquiring an additional 27,644 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc boosted its position in shares of Automatic Data Processing by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 183,561 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $53,875,000 after acquiring an additional 4,720 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its holdings in shares of Automatic Data Processing by 18.4% in the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 138,215 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $40,566,000 after purchasing an additional 21,444 shares in the last quarter. 80.03% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ADP has been the topic of several research reports. Guggenheim assumed coverage on shares of Automatic Data Processing in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $270.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of Automatic Data Processing from $311.00 to $274.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Automatic Data Processing from $262.00 to $214.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Automatic Data Processing from $295.00 to $275.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on shares of Automatic Data Processing from $280.00 to $270.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned 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.com, Automatic Data Processing has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $284.77.

Key Automatic Data Processing News

Here are the key news stories impacting Automatic Data Processing this week:

• Positive Sentiment: ADP’s own March National Employment Report showed private sector employment rose +62,000 and annual pay was up 4.5%, data that supports continued demand for payroll and HR services. ADP National Employment Report
• Positive Sentiment: ADP research shows small private firms (sub-50 employees) drove the bulk of payroll gains last month (+85k in a cited dataset), a favorable trend for ADP’s SMB-facing products. No Foolin’: ADP Jobs Led by Small Companies
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary urging investors to retain ADP points to steady revenue growth, rising EPS outlook and a strong dividend track record — supportive for longer‑term holders. Here’s Why You Should Retain ADP Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: UBS reaffirmed a Hold rating on ADP, signaling no immediate upside from that shop but not a fresh sell signal either. UBS Reaffirms Hold on ADP
• Negative Sentiment: Investors advanced an ERISA suit over ADP 401(k) plan fees — potential legal exposure and reputational risk that can pressure the stock. ADP 401(k) Investors Advance ERISA Suit
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo cut its price target sharply (to $214 from $262) and reiterated an Underweight rating, citing multiple‑compression — a clear near‑term headwind for investor sentiment. Wells Fargo Cuts Price Target on ADP
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest in ADP rose ~18% in March, indicating increasing bearish bets that can amplify downside pressure if sentiment deteriorates. ADP Short Interest Up 18%
• Negative Sentiment: High‑profile criticism from commentators (e.g., Jim Cramer) that the company can be “disenfranchised” like peers may accelerate fund flow out of the name and weigh on retail sentiment. Jim Cramer on ADP

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Christopher D’ambrosio sold 543 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $208.45, for a total transaction of $113,188.35. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 8,912 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,857,706.40. This represents a 5.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP David Kwon sold 806 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $264.80, for a total transaction of $213,428.80. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 11,187 shares in the company, valued at $2,962,317.60. This trade represents a 6.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 4,058 shares of company stock worth $1,000,263. Insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Automatic Data Processing Price Performance

Shares of Automatic Data Processing stock opened at $201.28 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $81.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.35 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.03. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $220.50 and a 200-day moving average price of $251.46. Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has a one year low of $197.08 and a one year high of $329.93.

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

Automatic Data Processing Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th were paid a $1.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 13th. This represents a $6.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. Automatic Data Processing’s dividend payout ratio is currently 65.38%.

Automatic Data Processing declared that its board has approved a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, January 14th that allows the company to buyback $6.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the business services provider to reacquire up to 5.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

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.