Paychex, Inc. $PAYX Shares Sold by Jefferies Financial Group Inc.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. decreased its position in shares of Paychex, Inc. (NASDAQ:PAYX) by 34.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 19,135 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 10,193 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Paychex were worth $2,426,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PAYX. Heartwood Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Paychex in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. MMA Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Paychex in the 3rd quarter valued at $32,000. Westfuller Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Paychex in the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. Caitlin John LLC purchased a new stake in Paychex in the 3rd quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in Paychex by 193.2% during the 3rd quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 346 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 228 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.47% of the company’s stock.

Paychex Stock Performance

Shares of PAYX stock opened at $95.12 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $101.57 and a 200-day simple moving average of $114.71. The company has a market cap of $34.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.57 and a beta of 0.91. Paychex, Inc. has a 12-month low of $86.89 and a 12-month high of $161.24.

Paychex (NASDAQ:PAYX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, December 19th. The business services provider reported $1.26 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $1.56 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.55 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.14 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Paychex has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.480-5.530 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Paychex, Inc. will post 4.99 EPS for the current year.

Paychex declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Friday, January 16th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the business services provider to reacquire up to 2.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Paychex Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 28th were given a dividend of $1.08 per share. This represents a $4.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.5%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, January 28th. Paychex’s payout ratio is presently 97.96%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on PAYX shares. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of Paychex from $150.00 to $125.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Paychex in a report on Monday, December 29th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Paychex from $139.00 to $120.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on Paychex from $128.00 to $116.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $110.00 target price on Paychex in a research note on Friday, December 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $123.94.

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.