Insider Selling: Paylocity (NASDAQ:PCTY) Director Sells $1,282,557.80 in Stock

Paylocity Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:PCTY) Director Steven Sarowitz sold 8,539 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.20, for a total transaction of $1,282,557.80. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,480,055 shares in the company, valued at $672,904,261. The trade was a 0.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Paylocity Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of PCTY stock opened at $153.34 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.09. The company has a market capitalization of $8.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.98 and a beta of 0.48. Paylocity Holding Corporation has a 52-week low of $92.99 and a 52-week high of $182.83. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $126.14 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $115.25.

Paylocity (NASDAQ:PCTY) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The software maker reported $1.84 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.62 by $0.22. Paylocity had a net margin of 15.23% and a return on equity of 27.02%. The firm had revenue of $444.73 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $431.46 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.56 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Paylocity Holding Corporation will post 6.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its holdings in Paylocity by 5.9% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 136,388 shares of the software maker’s stock worth $25,551,000 after acquiring an additional 7,594 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its holdings in Paylocity by 24.5% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 1,365 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $256,000 after purchasing an additional 269 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Paylocity by 537.0% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 465 shares of the software maker’s stock worth $84,000 after purchasing an additional 392 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP increased its stake in shares of Paylocity by 2,782.7% in the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 35,688 shares of the software maker’s stock worth $6,466,000 after purchasing an additional 34,450 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Paylocity by 10.0% in the second quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 19,241 shares of the software maker’s stock worth $3,486,000 after purchasing an additional 1,749 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.76% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Paylocity

Here are the key news stories impacting Paylocity this week:

• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its price target for Paylocity from $168 to $177 and maintained a “buy” rating, indicating potential upside from the referenced share price. The move signals continued confidence in Paylocity’s growth outlook. Benzinga analyst price-target report
• Positive Sentiment: Paylocity’s 50-day moving average recently moved above its 200-day average, forming a bullish “golden cross.” This technical signal could attract momentum-focused investors and reinforce the stock’s ongoing uptrend. Zacks golden cross analysis
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage highlighted the extension of Paylocity’s uptrend after a strong quarterly report. The company reported adjusted earnings of $1.84 per share versus the $1.62 consensus estimate and revenue of $444.7 million versus expectations of $431.5 million, with revenue up 11% year over year. Kalkine Media Paylocity uptrend report
• Neutral Sentiment: CFO Ryan Glenn, SVPs Andrew Cappotelli and Joshua Scutt, and Director Steven I. Sarowitz sold a combined 19,164 shares worth approximately $2.87 million. Because the transactions were executed under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans, they are a limited signal of near-term pessimism. Sarowitz still owns more than 4.48 million shares, and the other executives retain substantial positions. SEC insider transaction filing

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PCTY has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $165.00 target price on shares of Paylocity in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Stephens cut their price target on shares of Paylocity from $160.00 to $120.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 8th. KeyCorp increased their price target on shares of Paylocity from $172.00 to $178.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. BTIG Research raised their price objective on shares of Paylocity from $150.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Paylocity in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $160.53.

About Paylocity

Paylocity (NASDAQ: PCTY) is a leading provider of cloud-based payroll and human capital management (HCM) software designed to streamline workforce administration for mid-sized organizations. The company’s integrated platform automates core functions such as payroll processing, benefits administration, time and labor tracking, and compliance management, enabling employers to manage employee data more efficiently and reduce administrative burdens.

In addition to payroll and HR capabilities, Paylocity offers talent management solutions including recruiting, onboarding, performance tracking, and learning management.