Automatic Data Processing Inc (NASDAQ: ADP)

Sector: Technology Industry: Software - Application CIK: 0000008670
Market Cap 108.05 Bn
P/B 16.95
P/E 26.12
P/S 5.17
ROIC (Qtr) 26.97
Div Yield % 2.96
Rev 1y % (Qtr) 7.09
Total Debt (Qtr) 9.77 Bn
Debt/Equity (Qtr) 1.53

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,...

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Price action

Investment thesis

Bull case

  • Strong operating cash flow of 4.76B provides robust 0.49x coverage of total debt 9.77B, indicating excellent debt servicing capability and financial flexibility.
  • Operating cash flow of 4.76B provides strong 18.01x coverage of stock compensation 264.20M, indicating sustainable incentive practices.
  • Operating cash flow of 4.76B provides exceptional 10.49x coverage of interest expenses 453.50M, showing strong debt service capability.
  • Strong tangible asset base of 49.45B provides 5.06x coverage of total debt 9.77B, indicating robust asset backing and low credit risk.
  • Robust free cash flow of 4.22B exceeds capital expenditure of 540.60M by 7.80x, indicating strong organic growth funding capability.

Bear case

  • Operating cash flow of 4.76B barely covers its investment activities of (3.25B), with a coverage ratio of -1.46, indicating heavy reliance on external financing for growth which may not be sustainable in a tighter credit environment.
  • Operating cash flow of 4.76B provides thin coverage of dividend payments of (2.45B) with a -1.94 ratio, suggesting potential dividend sustainability issues if operational performance deteriorates.
  • Cash reserves of 2.48B provide limited coverage of acquisition spending of (1.16B), which is -2.13x, suggesting aggressive expansion might strain liquidity if market conditions deteriorate.
  • Retained earnings of 25.62B provide limited buffer against comprehensive income items of (730.70M), which is -35.07x, indicating elevated exposure to market risks.
  • Short-term investments of 5.47B represent 2.41x of working capital 2.27B, suggesting potentially excessive financial asset allocation versus 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 281.21 Bn 33.75 6.55 10.73 Bn
2 CRM Salesforce, Inc. 248.88 Bn 34.46 6.17 11.14 Bn
3 SHOP Shopify Inc. 217.18 Bn 121.94 20.30 1.12 Bn
4 UBER Uber Technologies, Inc 182.87 Bn 10.99 3.69 12.19 Bn
5 INTU Intuit Inc. 182.36 Bn 44.28 9.38 6.78 Bn
6 NOW ServiceNow, Inc. 151.53 Bn 87.54 11.96 2.40 Bn
7 ADBE Adobe Inc. 146.69 Bn 21.08 6.33 6.64 Bn
8 ADP Automatic Data Processing Inc 108.05 Bn 26.12 5.17 9.77 Bn

Industry comparisons

Current Valuation Value Ind Avg Percentile
EV to Assets EV to Assets 2.10 2.68
EV to Cash from Ops. EV/CFO 23.92 13.34
EV to Debt EV to Debt 11.65 57.60
EV to EBIT EV/EBIT 19.51 19.20
EV to EBITDA EV/EBITDA 18.77 15.11
EV to Free Cash Flow [EV/FCF] EV/FCF 26.99 14.78
EV to Market Cap EV to Market Cap 1.05 -93.16
EV to Revenue EV/Rev 5.44 4.63
Price to Book Value [P/B] P/B 16.95 4.29
Price to Earnings [P/E] P/E 26.12 -132.44
Dividend Metrics Value Ind Avg Percentile
Dividend Coverage Ratio Div Coverage (Qtr) 1.69 -3.95
Dividend Payout Ratio % Div Payout % (Qtr) 60.60 4.25
Dividend per Basic Share Div per Share (Qtr) 6.16 0.15
FCF Dividend Payout Ratio % FCF Div Payout % (Qtr) 59.17 2.52
Interest Coverage Int. cover (Qtr) 12.87 -52.32
Growth Metrics Value Ind Avg Percentile
Capex Growth (1y) % Capex 1y % (Qtr) 4.69 -259.78
Cash and Equivalents Growth (1y) % Cash & Equiv 1y % (Qtr) 17.73 9,763.58
Dividend Growth (1y) % Div 1y % (Qtr) 10.00 1.61
EBIAT Growth (1y) % EBIAT 1y % (Qtr) 7.77 -263.15
EBITDA Growth (1y) % EBITDA 1y % (Qtr) 7.09 56.46
EBIT Growth (1y) % EBIT 1y % (Qtr) 7.59 -225.15
EBT Growth (1y) % EBT 1y % (Qtr) 7.29 -86.10
EPS Growth (1y) % EPS 1y % (Qtr) 8.19 123.84
FCF Growth (1y) % FCF 1y % (Qtr) 3.15 -36.82
Gross Profit Growth (1y) % Gross Profit 1y % (Qtr) 7.57 95.08
Liquidity Ratios Value Ind Avg Percentile
Asset Utilization Ratio Asset Util Ratio (Qtr) 0.38 0.58
Cash Payout Ratio Cash Payout (Qtr) 0.46 0.02
Cash Ratio Cash Ratio (Qtr) 0.06 3.75
Current Ratio Curr Ratio (Qtr) 1.05 8.16
Debt to Equity Ratio Debt/Equity (Qtr) 1.53 0.17
Interest Cover Ratio Int Coverage (Qtr) 12.87 -52.32
Times Interest Earned Times Interest Earned (Qtr) 12.87 -52.32
Profitability Value Ind Avg Percentile
EBITDA Margin % EBITDA Margin % (Qtr) 30.70 -100.06
EBIT Margin % EBIT Margin % (Qtr) 27.91 -164.24
EBT Margin % EBT Margin % (Qtr) 25.74 -116.94
Gross Margin % Gross Margin % (Qtr) 45.90 58.20
Net Profit Margin % Net Margin % (Qtr) 19.80 -121.65