Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADP) Stake Increased by Clarius Group LLC

Clarius Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADP) by 13.2% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,386 shares of the business services provider’s stock after buying an additional 626 shares during the quarter. Clarius Group LLC’s holdings in Automatic Data Processing were worth $1,184,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. GSB Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Automatic Data Processing by 16.3% during the 2nd quarter. GSB Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,256 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,375,000 after buying an additional 877 shares during the period. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC increased its position in Automatic Data Processing by 15.0% in the 2nd quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 2,051 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $507,000 after purchasing an additional 268 shares during the last quarter. Northwest Capital Management Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Automatic Data Processing during the 2nd quarter worth about $85,000. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Automatic Data Processing by 6.4% during the 2nd quarter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,587 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $788,000 after buying an additional 215 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Abacus Planning Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Automatic Data Processing by 17.1% in the 2nd quarter. Abacus Planning Group Inc. now owns 1,368 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $301,000 after buying an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. 79.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Automatic Data Processing Stock Performance

NASDAQ ADP traded down $0.46 during trading on Thursday, hitting $230.00. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 158,187 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,748,872. Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has a 52 week low of $201.46 and a 52 week high of $274.92. The firm has a market cap of $94.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.83. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $237.49 and a 200 day moving average price of $232.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86.

Automatic Data Processing (NASDAQ:ADP) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 25th. The business services provider reported $2.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.03 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $4.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.52 billion. Automatic Data Processing had a net margin of 19.07% and a return on equity of 102.59%. Equities research analysts forecast that Automatic Data Processing, Inc. will post 9.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Automatic Data Processing Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 8th will be given a $1.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 7th. This represents a $5.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.43%. This is an increase from Automatic Data Processing’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. Automatic Data Processing’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 59.45%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have issued reports on ADP shares. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Automatic Data Processing from $260.00 to $250.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 26th. Royal Bank of Canada started coverage on shares of Automatic Data Processing in a report on Tuesday, September 5th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $267.00 price objective for the company. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on Automatic Data Processing from $235.00 to $270.00 in a report on Thursday, July 27th. Barclays decreased their price target on Automatic Data Processing from $285.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Automatic Data Processing from $260.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 22nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $248.42.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Automatic Data Processing news, VP Don Mcguire sold 2,380 shares of Automatic Data Processing stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.91, for a total transaction of $568,605.80. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 20,665 shares in the company, valued at $4,937,075.15. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other Automatic Data Processing news, VP Don Mcguire sold 2,380 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.91, for a total transaction of $568,605.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 20,665 shares in the company, valued at $4,937,075.15. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Carlos A. Rodriguez sold 52,254 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $247.93, for a total value of $12,955,334.22. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 44,859 shares in the company, valued at $11,121,891.87. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 165,420 shares of company stock worth $41,491,937. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Automatic Data Processing Company Profile

Automatic Data Processing, Inc provides cloud-based human capital management solutions worldwide. It operates in two segments, Employer Services and Professional Employer Organization (PEO). The Employer Services segment offers strategic, cloud-based platforms, and human resources (HR) outsourcing solutions.