Automatic Data Processing, Inc. $ADP Shares Sold by Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc.

Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. cut its holdings in Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADP) by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 76,536 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 2,340 shares during the period. Automatic Data Processing makes up approximately 3.2% of Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest position. Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Automatic Data Processing were worth $22,463,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC grew its holdings in Automatic Data Processing by 141.5% during the third quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 13,283 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $3,899,000 after purchasing an additional 7,782 shares during the period. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina raised its stake in shares of Automatic Data Processing by 35.2% in the second quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 312,473 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $96,367,000 after buying an additional 81,323 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Automatic Data Processing by 17.5% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 13,956 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $4,096,000 after buying an additional 2,075 shares during the last quarter. Peak Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Automatic Data Processing during the 3rd quarter worth $2,309,000. Finally, MGO One Seven LLC increased its holdings in Automatic Data Processing by 18.3% in the 2nd quarter. MGO One Seven LLC now owns 13,578 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $4,187,000 after acquiring an additional 2,105 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.03% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP David Kwon sold 806 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $264.80, for a total value of $213,428.80. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 11,187 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,962,317.60. This trade represents a 6.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Christopher D’ambrosio sold 543 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $262.29, for a total transaction of $142,423.47. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 9,998 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,622,375.42. This represents a 5.15% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 2,249 shares of company stock worth $589,852. Insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on ADP. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Automatic Data Processing in a report on Monday, December 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Automatic Data Processing from $340.00 to $295.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated an “underperform” rating and issued a $230.00 price objective (down from $245.00) on shares of Automatic Data Processing in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Automatic Data Processing from $288.00 to $272.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Citigroup initiated coverage on Automatic Data Processing in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $303.00 price target for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $306.42.

Automatic Data Processing Stock Performance

NASDAQ ADP opened at $256.99 on Thursday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $258.10 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $280.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 1.05. Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has a 1 year low of $247.18 and a 1 year high of $329.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $103.94 billion, a PE ratio of 25.37 and a beta of 0.86.

Automatic Data Processing (NASDAQ:ADP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The business services provider reported $2.49 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.44 by $0.05. Automatic Data Processing had a net margin of 19.79% and a return on equity of 70.63%. The firm had revenue of $5.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.14 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.33 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. Automatic Data Processing has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.811-11.011 EPS. Analysts predict that Automatic Data Processing, Inc. will post 9.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Automatic Data Processing announced that its board has initiated a share repurchase program on Wednesday, January 14th that authorizes the company to buyback $6.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the business services provider to purchase up to 5.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Automatic Data Processing Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a $1.70 dividend. This represents a $6.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. Automatic Data Processing’s dividend payout ratio is currently 67.13%.

Automatic Data Processing Profile

Automatic Data Processing, Inc (ADP) is a global provider of cloud-based human capital management (HCM) and payroll solutions. Founded in 1949 and headquartered in Roseland, New Jersey, ADP began as a payroll processing company and has evolved into a diversified provider of workforce management, HR, benefits administration, tax and compliance services, and analytics for employers of all sizes.

ADP’s product portfolio includes payroll processing and tax filing, time and attendance systems, benefits administration, talent management, and HR outsourcing.