Paychex (PAYX) Expected to Announce Earnings on Wednesday

Paychex (NASDAQ:PAYX) is expected to release its Q3 2026 results before the market opens on Wednesday, March 25th. Analysts expect Paychex to post earnings of $1.68 per share and revenue of $1.7798 billion for the quarter. Paychex has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.480-5.530 EPS. Individuals are encouraged to explore the company’s upcoming Q3 2026 earning overview page for the latest details on the call scheduled for Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 9:30 AM ET.

Paychex (NASDAQ:PAYX) last released its earnings results on Friday, December 19th. The business services provider reported $1.26 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.23 by $0.03. Paychex had a return on equity of 46.38% and a net margin of 26.45%.The business had revenue of $1.56 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.55 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.14 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect Paychex to post $5 EPS for the current fiscal year and $5 EPS for the next fiscal year.

Paychex Trading Down 0.7%

Shares of PAYX opened at $92.43 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $99.78 and its 200 day moving average price is $113.10. The company has a quick ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.96 and a beta of 0.91. Paychex has a 12-month low of $86.89 and a 12-month high of $161.24.

Paychex Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 28th were issued a dividend of $1.08 per share. This represents a $4.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, January 28th. Paychex’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 97.96%.

Paychex announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program on Friday, January 16th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the business services provider to buy up to 2.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on Paychex from $150.00 to $125.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 5th. TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Paychex in a research note on Monday, December 1st. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price target on shares of Paychex from $121.00 to $103.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 13th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on shares of Paychex from $137.00 to $126.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald raised shares of Paychex to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Paychex has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $122.81.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Paychex

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Evansbrook LLC acquired a new position in Paychex in the 4th quarter worth about $149,000. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Paychex by 110.2% during the fourth quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,118 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,023,000 after purchasing an additional 4,780 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC grew its holdings in shares of Paychex by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 800,221 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $89,607,000 after purchasing an additional 12,979 shares during the last quarter. Strive Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Paychex during the fourth quarter worth about $1,556,000. Finally, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV increased its stake in shares of Paychex by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 52,708 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $5,913,000 after buying an additional 640 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 83.47% of the company’s stock.

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.