Welch & Forbes LLC Sells 8,875 Shares of Automatic Data Processing, Inc. $ADP

Welch & Forbes LLC lessened its stake in shares of Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADP) by 3.7% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 228,549 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 8,875 shares during the period. Welch & Forbes LLC’s holdings in Automatic Data Processing were worth $67,079,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Harbor Asset Planning Inc. acquired a new position in Automatic Data Processing in the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Mid American Wealth Advisory Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Automatic Data Processing during the second quarter worth about $26,000. Howard Hughes Medical Institute bought a new position in Automatic Data Processing in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Solstein Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Automatic Data Processing in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Automatic Data Processing by 80.0% in the 2nd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 90 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. 80.03% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on ADP shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Automatic Data Processing from $295.00 to $275.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an “underperform” rating and issued a $230.00 target price (down previously from $245.00) on shares of Automatic Data Processing in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on Automatic Data Processing from $290.00 to $280.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Citigroup dropped their price objective on Automatic Data Processing from $303.00 to $265.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on Automatic Data Processing in a research report on Tuesday. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $306.00 target price on the stock. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $295.38.

Insider Buying and Selling at Automatic Data Processing

In related news, VP Christopher D’ambrosio sold 543 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $262.29, for a total value of $142,423.47. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 9,998 shares in the company, valued at $2,622,375.42. This represents a 5.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP David Kwon sold 806 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $264.80, for a total transaction of $213,428.80. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 11,187 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,962,317.60. The trade was a 6.72% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 2,249 shares of company stock worth $589,852. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

More Automatic Data Processing News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 / Q2 results and guidance — ADP beat revenue and EPS estimates, showed broad-based growth and margin stability, and set FY26 EPS guidance above street projections; management reiterated an upbeat outlook and a buyback. These execution and capital-allocation signals support the stock’s upward reaction. ADP Q4 Deep Dive
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings call takeaways — summaries and highlights (management tone, buyback, and stronger Employer Services performance) reinforced the beat-and-raise narrative that underpins near-term fundamentals. ADP Earnings Call Highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: New coverage and analyst reports — Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage and independent analyst notes (Argus) provide fresh research flow that can increase trading interest but are mixed in directional impact. Coverage Initiated at Cantor Fitzgerald Analyst Report: Automatic Data Processing Inc.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple price‑target cuts and downgrades — Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, JPMorgan, Wells Fargo and Stifel trimmed targets and moved to neutral/underweight/hold stances, signaling reduced analyst conviction and pressuring investor sentiment despite upside still implied by some revised targets. Benzinga coverage of analyst actions
• Negative Sentiment: 52‑week low headline — reports that ADP hit a 52‑week low attract attention and can trigger short-term selling or defensive positioning by momentum and quant funds. Adp stock hits 52-week low

Automatic Data Processing Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of ADP opened at $246.82 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a current ratio of 1.03. Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has a 52 week low of $243.68 and a 52 week high of $329.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $99.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.73 and a beta of 0.86. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $258.36 and a 200-day moving average of $277.93.

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

Automatic Data Processing Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a $1.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $6.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. Automatic Data Processing’s payout ratio is currently 65.38%.

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

About Automatic Data Processing

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.