PCTY vs SAP vs ADP Stock Comparison

Paylocity Holding, Sap Se and Automatic Data Processing Prices as of Oct 27, 2026 Peers: Industry group
PCTY Paylocity Holding Corp
$170.07 +18.6% 1M +12.3% 1Y
Market cap
$9.10B
P/E
33.7x
Revenue (TTM)
$1.77B
Div. yield
–
HR Software Technology
3 wins
SAP Sap Se
$235.80 +11.9% 1M -13.4% 1Y
Market cap
$275.90B
P/E
28.9x
Revenue (TTM)
$45.76B
Div. yield
–
ERP Software Technology
6 wins

Head to Head

11 decided of 12

Sap Se leads on 6 of the 12 questions below (Sap Se 6, Paylocity Holding 3, Automatic Data Processing 2). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionPCTYSAPADPLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $9.10B $275.90B $114.60B SAP
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 33.7x 28.9x 26.0x ADP
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 20.6x 27.7x 22.8x PCTY
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +11.0% +13.5% +6.7% SAP
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 15.2% 20.8% 20.1% SAP
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 21.0% 35.6% -46.5% SAP
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA -0.4x -0.4x -0.2x SAP
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% –
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +12.3% -13.4% +4.5% PCTY
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years -10.8%/yr +9.8%/yr +5.6%/yr SAP
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 42.2% 39.3% 28.5% ADP
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 64/100 63/100 39/100 PCTY

Percentile Scorecard

PCTYSAPADP

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisPCTYSAPADP
Valuation 54 #47 of 101 52 #49 of 101 32 #69 of 101
Growth 65 #35 of 97 68 #32 of 97 27 #71 of 97
Profitability 87 #13 of 94 91 #9 of 94 54 #44 of 94
Financial Health 56 #48 of 108 77 #26 of 108 36 #70 of 108
Shareholder Returns 60 #26 of 64 29 #46 of 64 48 #34 of 64
Overall 64 63 39
  • PCTY ranked among 114 companies in Business Applications
  • SAP ranked among 114 companies in Business Applications
  • ADP ranked among 114 companies in Business Applications

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodPCTYSAPADPSPY
1 month +18.6%+11.9%+11.2% -0.2%
3 months +22.6%+31.6%+11.0% +3.9%
6 months +66.3%+35.9%+47.2% +8.2%
Year to date +11.5%-2.9%+13.9% +12.9%
1 year +12.3%-13.4%+4.5% +12.3%
3 years -2.5%+79.5%+36.4% +87.4%
3 years, per year -0.8%+21.5%+10.9% +23.3%
5 years -43.6%+59.9%+31.5% +67.9%
5 years, per year -10.8%+9.8%+5.6% +10.9%
10 years +295.4%+169.0%+238.2% +261.1%
10 years, per year +14.7%+10.4%+13.0% +13.7%

Risk

MeasurePCTYSAPADPSPY
Volatility, 1Y 42.2%39.3%28.5% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 41.6%40.5%27.2% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y -0.150.63-0.09 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 0.29-0.340.16 0.97
Max drawdown, 5Y -68.9%-53.2%-42.2% -25.4%
From 52-week high -4.3%-13.4%-4.8% -1.2%
52-week high $177.67$272.16$307.94 $779.14
52-week low $95.10$146.09$188.79 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultiplePCTYSAPADP
P/E now vs peer median 34.1xmedian 28.3x 28.8xmedian 28.3x 26.7xmedian 28.3x
P/S now vs peer median 5.1xmedian 2.8x 6.3xmedian 2.8x 5.3xmedian 2.8x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 17.8xmedian 17.3x 11.9xmedian 17.3x -25.2xmedian 17.3x
P/FCF now vs peer median 18.2xmedian 15.8x 27.9xmedian 15.8x 22.2xmedian 15.8x
P/B now vs peer median 7.4xmedian 3.2x 5.5xmedian 3.2x 19.3xmedian 3.2x
PEG now vs peer median 1.33median 0.85 1.80median 0.85 2.65median 0.85

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsPCTYSAPADP
Revenue $1.77B $45.76B $21.95B
Gross profit $1.23B $33.40B $10.19B
Operating income $385.99M $22.06B -$6.44B
Net income $269.74M $9.47B $4.41B
Free cash flow $497.10M $10.40B $5.24B
R&D $221.39M $8.26B $1.03B
EPS (diluted) $4.92 $8.11 $10.94
Cash & equivalents $271.92M $10.62B $4.23B
Total debt $81.25M $9.68B $4.96B
Shares (diluted) 54.77M 1.18B 403.30M
Enterprise value $8.20B $203.30B $96.72B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricPCTYSAPADP
P/E 34.1x 28.8x 26.7x
P/FCF 18.2x 27.9x 22.2x
P/Operating cash flow 17.0x 25.2x 21.4x
P/S 5.1x 6.3x 5.3x
P/B 7.4x 5.5x 19.3x
P/Tangible book 8.0x 5.8x 26.6x
EV/EBITDA 17.8x 11.9x -25.2x
EV/EBIT 23.0x 12.7x -18.2x
EV/Revenue 5.0x 6.1x 5.3x
EV/FCF 17.8x 26.9x 22.4x
EV/Operating cash flow 16.6x 24.3x 21.6x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 1.33 1.80 2.65

Growth

14 metrics
MetricPCTYSAPADP
Revenue growth (1Y) 11.0% 13.5% 6.7%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 14.7% 11.7% 6.8%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 11.7% 12.6% 7.6%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) 14.9% 12.1% 8.1%
Operating income growth (1Y) 27.0% 30.9% -4.9%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) 35.5% 52.1% -4.2%
Net income growth (1Y) 18.8% 18.5% 8.2%
Net income CAGR (3Y) 24.2% 16.4% 9.0%
EPS growth (1Y) 22.6% 22.0% 9.6%
EPS CAGR (3Y) 25.6% 16.0% 10.1%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 27.5% 43.3% 10.2%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 23.6% 19.0% 8.9%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 22.7% 43.7% 9.9%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 24.0% 20.9% 9.4%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricPCTYSAPADP
Gross margin 69.2% 73.0% 46.4%
EBITDA margin 28.1% 51.5% -21.2%
Operating margin 21.8% 48.2% -29.3%
Pretax margin 21.9% 29.2% 26.1%
Net margin 15.2% 20.8% 20.1%
FCF margin 28.1% 22.7% 23.9%
Operating cash flow margin 30.1% 25.1% 24.8%
Return on equity 22.5% 18.5% 71.3%
Return on assets 5.2% 11.2% 6.9%
Return on invested capital 21.0% 35.6% -46.5%
Return on capital employed 22.1% 34.0% -46.6%
Asset turnover 0.3x 0.5x 0.3x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 2.0x 1.2x 1.2x
Stock comp / revenue 7.8% 3.9% 1.1%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricPCTYSAPADP
Debt / assets 1.7% 11.2% 7.9%
Debt / equity 0.1x 0.2x 0.8x
Net debt / EBITDA -0.4x -0.4x -0.2x
Debt / FCF 0.2x 0.9x 0.9x
Liabilities / assets 75.0% 39.1% 90.5%
Equity / assets 25.0% 60.9% 9.5%
Interest coverage – 8.3x -14.0x
Current ratio 1.1x 1.2x 1.1x
Quick ratio 0.1x 0.9x 0.2x
Cash ratio 0.1x 0.9x 0.1x
Altman Z-score 2.52 7.48 1.88

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricPCTYSAPADP
Dividend yield – 1.2% 2.3%
Net buyback yield 4.3% -0.1% 1.8%
Shareholder yield 4.3% 1.1% 4.1%
Payout ratio (earnings) – – –
Payout ratio (FCF) – – –
Dividend growth (1Y) – – –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – – –

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusPCTYSAPADP
Forward P/E 20.6xFY2027 27.7xFY2026 22.8xFY2027
EPS, next fiscal year $8.25FY2027 $8.52FY2026 $12.87FY2027
EPS growth, next FY -0.7%FY2027 +16.1%FY2026 +15.7%FY2027
EPS growth, the year after +13.7% +4.9% +6.8%
Revenue, next fiscal year $1.94BFY2027 $42.86BFY2026 $22.14BFY2027
Revenue growth, next FY +9.6%FY2027 -2.4%FY2026 +0.9%FY2027
Revenue growth, the year after -1.6% +14.3% +18.1%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersPCTYSAPADP
Held by institutions 85.3% 7.2% 88.1%
Institutions holding 466 820 2,290
Change in shares held, QoQ +2.3% -3.0% +4.4%
Institutions buying 273 459 1,084
Institutions selling 154 245 874
Buyers to sellers 1.77 1.87 1.24

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

PCTYSAPADP
PCTY 1.00 0.58 0.79
SAP 0.58 1.00 0.54
ADP 0.79 0.54 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, PCTY, SAP and ADP?

Sap Se (SAP) is the largest by market capitalisation: Paylocity Holding (PCTY) $9.10B, Sap Se (SAP) $275.90B, Automatic Data Processing (ADP) $114.60B.

Which stock is cheaper, PCTY, SAP and ADP?

Automatic Data Processing (ADP) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Paylocity Holding (PCTY) 33.7x, Sap Se (SAP) 28.9x, Automatic Data Processing (ADP) 26.0x). On next year's consensus earnings, Paylocity Holding (PCTY) is cheapest (Paylocity Holding (PCTY) 20.6x, Sap Se (SAP) 27.7x, Automatic Data Processing (ADP) 22.8x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Sap Se (SAP) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Paylocity Holding (PCTY) +11.0%, Sap Se (SAP) +13.5%, Automatic Data Processing (ADP) +6.7%.

Which company is more profitable?

Sap Se (SAP) has the highest net margin (Paylocity Holding (PCTY) 15.2%, Sap Se (SAP) 20.8%, Automatic Data Processing (ADP) 20.1%). On return on invested capital, Sap Se (SAP) leads (Paylocity Holding (PCTY) 21.0%, Sap Se (SAP) 35.6%, Automatic Data Processing (ADP) -46.5%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Paylocity Holding (PCTY) returned the most: Paylocity Holding (PCTY) +12.3%, Sap Se (SAP) -13.4%, Automatic Data Processing (ADP) +4.5%. Over five years, Sap Se (SAP) compounded fastest (Paylocity Holding (PCTY) -10.8%/yr, Sap Se (SAP) +9.8%/yr, Automatic Data Processing (ADP) +5.6%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Automatic Data Processing (ADP) has been the steadiest (Paylocity Holding (PCTY) 42.2%, Sap Se (SAP) 39.3%, Automatic Data Processing (ADP) 28.5%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, PCTY, SAP and ADP?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Sap Se (SAP) leads on 6. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.