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PaychexPAYXTOP PICKAug 25, 2016Stock price when the opinion was issued
As of Jun 18, 2026. Market Open.
Focus is on small and medium businesses, so investors are concerned about even small upticks in unemployment. Good, steady company. Attracts a premium valuation. Don't have to worry about AI so much right now; AI can assist (rather than replace) its work, and provide more data. The debate now is about whether the economy grows or shrinks.
Is a domestic US company, so it faces no tariff risk. Is Trump cuts taxes 15%, this adds 20% to growing earnings for PAYX. Margins have been growing, and they just bought a company that will accrete to earnings (they report tomorrow). Trades at a high 28x PE, but the dividend grows 10% annually. Has owned this 30 years.
Recent earnings were up 4%. Veritable cash cow because they bank all the payroll taxes (that customers submit to the IRS) at current interest rates. It's like free money on top of earnings. Revenue growth was double GDP. Entirely domestic, so protected from trade barriers.
Services small companies, so if the economy does well from tax cuts, this name should continue to grow. Long-term, compounding annual returns of 14-15% -- you double your money roughly every 4-5 years. A buy and hold, not a trade.
If interest rates were to rise, this is a payroll processor that gets to bank $3.5 billion of other people’s money over the weekend before they remit back to the IRS. For every .25% that interest rates rise, this makes $7.5 million in free money. On top of that, they also provide H&R services, time management, 401K programs as well as health benefit supplements under the Obama program, for all the small and medium-sized businesses. Have been growing at about 5%-6%, and are now starting to grow by 8%-10%, because non-payroll stuff has a greater growth platform. Dividend yield of 3%.