Paychex, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides human capital management solutions (HCM) for payroll, employee benefits, human resources (HR), and insurance services for small to medium-sized businesses in the United States, Europe, and India. It offers payroll processing services; payroll tax administration services; employee payment services; and regulatory compliance services. The company provides retirement solutions, such as plan implementation, ongoing compliance with government regulations, employee and employer reporting, participant and employer online access, electronic funds transfer, and other administrative services; HCM solutions from recruiting and hiring to retirement; and talent management and talent acquisition services. In addition, it offers payroll solutions, including calculation, preparation, and delivery of employee payroll checks; production of internal accounting records and management reports; preparation of federal, state, and local payroll tax returns; and collection and remittance of clients' payroll obligations. Further, the company provides workforce management solutions; benefits administration solutions; digital marketplace for earned wages, financial wellness solutions, and voluntary lifestyle benefits; HR support to non-payroll clients through HR Partner Plus solution; and insurance services for property and casualty coverage, such as workers' compensation, business-owner policies, cyber security protection, and commercial auto, as well as health and benefits coverage, including health, dental, vision, and life. Additionally, it offers payroll, employer compliance, HR and employee benefits administration, risk management outsourcing, and both virtual and on-site availability of a professionally trained HR representative, and other solutions to businesses. It markets and sells its services primarily through its direct sales force. The company was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Rochester, New York.
as of February 2026
Are revenues and earnings expanding?
$6.33B in TTM revenue grew 16.4% YoY, reaching $1.81B last quarter. TTM EBITDA of $2.84B on operating income of $792.00M shows growth is flowing through. Net income of $1.64B TTM confirms the company is converting revenue into profit. Revenue is growing at a healthy pace — a signal to hold.
Is revenue turning into profit effectively?
Op. margin of 43.8% is down 2.1% YoY — costs are rising relative to revenue. Net margin at 31.0% and gross margin of 76.2%. ROE of 40.8% shows the company generates solid returns on shareholder equity.
Is the stock cheap or expensive?
At 21.4x P/E, the stock trades in line with market averages — fairly valued. P/S of 5.5x and P/B of 8.7x provide additional context. Assess whether the current multiple is justified by the company's growth and profitability trajectory.
Is the company financially stable?
With $17.51B in assets and $4.55B in long-term debt, the D/E of 1.1 reflects moderate leverage — debt is manageable but worth monitoring.
Is the business self-funding?
FCF of $761.50M on $812.50M in operating cash flow. The FCF / Net Income ratio of 0.5x indicates partial cash conversion — earnings quality needs attention. Cash reserves of $1.74B provide financial flexibility. Share count is stable — no dilution or buyback activity.
Competitive analysis based on 66 quarters of fundamental data
Operating margins are positive at ~38.9% on average, but show some variability — pricing power may be sensitive to market conditions.
Consistently high ROE averaging 42.2% suggests a durable competitive advantage and efficient capital allocation.
Free cash flow is consistently positive and growing — a hallmark of a capital-light business that can self-fund growth.
TTM revenue has grown consistently (7 of 7 quarters up), with ~20.0% growth over the period. Strong demand durability.
Data-driven red flags and warnings across 66 quarters
Operating margins declined 11.8% — watch for continued compression, which may signal competitive or cost pressure.
FCF covers net income by 1.1x on average — earnings are well-supported by cash generation.
Debt-to-equity has risen 484.6% recently — increasing financial risk even if the current ratio is manageable.
Revenue is stable or growing over recent quarters — demand appears durable.
Free cash flow is consistently positive — the business self-funds without external capital reliance.
Share count is stable — no significant dilution or buyback activity.