Automatic Data Processing Inc (NASDAQ: ADP)

Sector: Technology Industry: Software - Application CIK: 0000008670
Market Cap 100.13 Bn
P/B 15.66
P/E 23.64
P/S 4.72
ROIC (Qtr) 31.81
Div Yield % 2.56
Rev 1y % (Qtr) 6.16
Total Debt (Qtr) 4.37 Bn
Debt/Equity (Qtr) 0.68

About

Automatic Data Processing, Inc., also known as ADP, is a prominent global technology company that specializes in providing comprehensive cloud-based human capital management (HCM) solutions to businesses of all sizes. With a rich history that spans over seven decades, ADP has established itself as one of the world's largest HCM providers, serving over 1.1 million clients and paying more than 42 million workers across more than 140 countries and territories. ADP's business operations are structured around three core pillars: U.S. HCM Solutions,...

Read more

Price action

Investment thesis

Bull case

  • Strong operating cash flow of 4.74B provides robust 1.08x coverage of total debt 4.37B, indicating excellent debt servicing capability and financial flexibility.
  • Healthy cash reserves of 2.42B provide 52.94x coverage of short-term debt 45.80M, demonstrating strong liquidity position and minimal refinancing risk.
  • Strong tangible asset base of 79.72B provides 18.24x coverage of total debt 4.37B, indicating robust asset backing and low credit risk.
  • Operating cash flow of 4.74B provides strong 18.35x coverage of stock compensation 258.30M, indicating sustainable incentive practices.
  • Tangible assets of 79.72B provide exceptional 124.20x coverage of deferred revenue 641.90M, showing strong service capability backing.

Bear case

  • Operating cash flow of 4.74B barely covers its investment activities of (2.67B), with a coverage ratio of -1.77, indicating heavy reliance on external financing for growth which may not be sustainable in a tighter credit environment.
  • Operating cash flow of 4.74B provides thin coverage of dividend payments of (2.51B) with a -1.89 ratio, suggesting potential dividend sustainability issues if operational performance deteriorates.
  • Cash reserves of 2.42B provide limited coverage of acquisition spending of (27.40M), which is -88.49x, suggesting aggressive expansion might strain liquidity if market conditions deteriorate.
  • Retained earnings of 25.99B provide limited buffer against comprehensive income items of (639.70M), which is -40.63x, indicating elevated exposure to market risks.
  • High financing cash flow of 14.89B relative to working capital of 2.33B, which is 6.39x suggests concerning dependence on external funding for operational needs.

Peer comparison

Companies in the Software - Application
S.No. Ticker Company Market Cap P/E P/S Total Debt (Qtr)
1 SAP Sap Se 234.56 Bn 28.15 5.46 10.73 Bn
2 CRM Salesforce, Inc. 204.28 Bn 32.96 5.39 11.14 Bn
3 SHOP Shopify Inc. 169.36 Bn 95.09 15.83 1.12 Bn
4 UBER Uber Technologies, Inc 167.13 Bn 10.04 3.37 12.19 Bn
5 INTU Intuit Inc. 140.92 Bn 175.06 33.55 6.78 Bn
6 ADBE Adobe Inc. 124.98 Bn 17.53 5.26 6.65 Bn
7 NOW ServiceNow, Inc. 121.03 Bn 69.24 9.11 2.40 Bn
8 ADP Automatic Data Processing Inc 100.13 Bn 23.64 4.72 4.37 Bn

Industry comparisons

Current Valuation Value Ind Avg Percentile
EV to Assets EV to Assets 1.27 2.50
EV to Cash from Ops. EV/CFO 22.66 12.27
EV to Debt EV to Debt 24.58 50.31
EV to EBIT EV/EBIT 18.05 10.96
EV to EBITDA EV/EBITDA 17.44 16.84
EV to Free Cash Flow [EV/FCF] EV/FCF 25.62 14.08
EV to Market Cap EV to Market Cap 1.07 -118.20
EV to Revenue EV/Rev 5.06 4.45
Price to Book Value [P/B] P/B 15.66 4.27
Price to Earnings [P/E] P/E 23.64 -133.65
Dividend Metrics Value Ind Avg Percentile
Dividend Coverage Ratio Div Coverage (Qtr) 1.69 -3.97
Dividend Payout Ratio % Div Payout % (Qtr) 60.50 4.25
Dividend per Basic Share Div per Share (Qtr) 6.32 0.15
FCF Dividend Payout Ratio % FCF Div Payout % (Qtr) 60.87 2.54
Interest Coverage Int. cover (Qtr) 13.28 -51.80
Growth Metrics Value Ind Avg Percentile
Capex Growth (1y) % Capex 1y % (Qtr) 4.26 -210.77
Cash and Equivalents Growth (1y) % Cash & Equiv 1y % (Qtr) 9.40 9,906.83
Dividend Growth (1y) % Div 1y % (Qtr) 10.10 1.62
EBIAT Growth (1y) % EBIAT 1y % (Qtr) 7.39 -265.85
EBITDA Growth (1y) % EBITDA 1y % (Qtr) 6.40 55.76
EBIT Growth (1y) % EBIT 1y % (Qtr) 6.93 -227.83
EBT Growth (1y) % EBT 1y % (Qtr) 7.21 -88.00
EPS Growth (1y) % EPS 1y % (Qtr) 8.52 121.91
FCF Growth (1y) % FCF 1y % (Qtr) -0.21 -40.82
Gross Profit Growth (1y) % Gross Profit 1y % (Qtr) 7.01 92.11
Liquidity Ratios Value Ind Avg Percentile
Asset Utilization Ratio Asset Util Ratio (Qtr) 0.25 0.58
Cash Payout Ratio Cash Payout (Qtr) 0.47 0.02
Cash Ratio Cash Ratio (Qtr) 0.03 3.77
Current Ratio Curr Ratio (Qtr) 1.03 8.19
Debt to Equity Ratio Debt/Equity (Qtr) 0.68 0.16
Interest Cover Ratio Int Coverage (Qtr) 13.28 -51.80
Times Interest Earned Times Interest Earned (Qtr) 13.28 -51.80
Profitability Value Ind Avg Percentile
EBITDA Margin % EBITDA Margin % (Qtr) 30.80 -105.77
EBIT Margin % EBIT Margin % (Qtr) 28.05 -131.65
EBT Margin % EBT Margin % (Qtr) 25.94 -122.72
Gross Margin % Gross Margin % (Qtr) 46.00 58.14
Net Profit Margin % Net Margin % (Qtr) 20.00 -127.70