Burns J W & Co. Inc. NY Has $5.05 Million Holdings in Paychex, Inc. $PAYX

Burns J W & Co. Inc. NY lowered its stake in Paychex, Inc. (NASDAQ:PAYX) by 12.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 44,971 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 6,578 shares during the period. Burns J W & Co. Inc. NY’s holdings in Paychex were worth $5,045,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in Paychex by 26.3% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 5,710 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $801,000 after purchasing an additional 1,190 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC boosted its position in Paychex by 3.0% during the fourth quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 4,035 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $566,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP acquired a new position in Paychex during the first quarter valued at approximately $3,333,000. Prudential Financial Inc. grew its holdings in Paychex by 15.6% during the second quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 199,714 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $29,050,000 after purchasing an additional 26,947 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Paychex in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,013,000. Institutional investors own 83.47% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Guggenheim initiated coverage on shares of Paychex in a report on Thursday, March 19th. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Wolfe Research dropped their target price on shares of Paychex from $130.00 to $115.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on shares of Paychex from $121.00 to $103.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Paychex from $140.00 to $125.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Argus lowered their price target on Paychex from $150.00 to $130.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Paychex presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $121.38.

Paychex Price Performance

NASDAQ:PAYX opened at $93.36 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 1.27. Paychex, Inc. has a one year low of $86.89 and a one year high of $161.24. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $97.38 and a 200 day moving average price of $111.39. The stock has a market cap of $33.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.17 and a beta of 0.91.

Paychex (NASDAQ:PAYX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 25th. The business services provider reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.67 by $0.04. Paychex had a net margin of 26.45% and a return on equity of 46.38%. The business had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.78 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.49 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 19.9% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Paychex, Inc. will post 4.99 earnings per share for the current year.

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 given a dividend of $1.08 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, January 28th. This represents a $4.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.6%. Paychex’s payout ratio is currently 97.96%.

Paychex announced that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Friday, January 16th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the business services provider to reacquire up to 2.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Key Stories Impacting Paychex

Here are the key news stories impacting Paychex this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 results beat expectations — adjusted EPS of $1.71 topped consensus and revenue of $1.81B was roughly 20% higher year‑over‑year, driven by strength across core segments. This is the primary fundamental catalyst lifting sentiment. Paychex (PAYX) Beats Q3 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue growth being driven by AI advisory services and the Paycor acquisition — management highlighted demand for AI-enabled advisory and the contribution from Paycor as key growth levers on the call. Paychex Q3 Results: Revenue Soars 20% As Small Businesses Turn To AI, Advisory Services
• Positive Sentiment: Shares outperformed peers on heavy trading after the print and call, reflecting market reaction to the beat and growth narrative. Paychex Inc. stock outperforms competitors on strong trading day
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call transcript and highlights provide more color on product adoption and AI strategy — useful for investors modeling forward growth but not an immediate price mover on its own. Paychex, Inc. (PAYX) Q3 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary is mixed — some note the stock’s deep one‑year decline and argue valuation may be compelling, while others remain cautious; no large consensus change yet. Is Paychex (PAYX) Offering Value After A 34.9% One Year Share Price Decline?
• Negative Sentiment: Cost and margin pressures flagged by some outlets — despite top‑line strength, investors are watching rising costs that could compress margins and limit upside to profitability. Paychex (PAYX) Stock Slides 3.09% as Cost Pressures Overshadow Robust Q3 Performance
• Negative Sentiment: At least one sell-side firm (Cantor Fitzgerald) remains negative on the name, adding analyst resistance that can cap near‑term investor enthusiasm. Cantor Fitzgerald Sticks to Their Sell Rating for Paychex (PAYX)

Paychex Company Profile

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.