<div id="readability-page-1"><p>Paychex (NASDAQ:PAYX - Get Free Report) issued its earnings results on Wednesday. The business services provider reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.68 by $0.03, Briefing.com reports. Paychex had a return on equity of 46.38% and a net margin of 26.45%.The business had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.78 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.49 earnings per share. Paychex's revenue for the quarter was up 19.9% on a year-over-year basis.</p><h2>Paychex Price Performance</h2><ul><li>The Late-Stage Bull Market Is a Buying Opportunity for Tech</li></ul><p>Shares of Paychex stock opened at $90.61 on Wednesday. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $97.72 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $111.51. Paychex has a 12-month low of $86.89 and a 12-month high of $161.24. The firm has a market cap of $32.53 billion, a PE ratio of 20.55 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a quick ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. </p><h2>Paychex Dividend Announcement</h2><p>The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 28th were given a dividend of $1.08 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, January 28th. This represents a $4.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.8%. Paychex's dividend payout ratio  is presently 97.96%. </p><h2>Institutional Trading of Paychex</h2><ul><li>3 Large Cap Stocks Announce Big Buyback Boosts Amid +20% Falls</li></ul><p>A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of PAYX. Bison Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in  Paychex by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 4,035 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $566,000 after buying an additional 117 shares during the period.  Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in shares of  Paychex by 26.3% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 5,710 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $801,000 after buying an additional 1,190 shares during the period.  Stokes Family Office LLC raised its holdings in shares of  Paychex by 26.1% during the fourth quarter. Stokes Family Office LLC now owns 2,123 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $238,000 after acquiring an additional 439 shares in the last quarter.  Abel Hall LLC bought a new position in shares of  Paychex during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $232,000.  Finally, Quarry LP lifted its stake in  Paychex by 1,541.7% in the fourth quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,970 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $221,000 after acquiring an additional 1,850 shares during the period. 83.47% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. </p><p>Paychex announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Friday, January 16th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in    shares. This buyback authorization permits the business services provider to buy up to 2.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally a sign that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued. </p><h2>Analysts Set New Price Targets</h2><ul><li>Buy The Dip Opportunity: Paychex Signals Rebound After Sell-Off</li></ul><p>A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on PAYX shares. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on shares of Paychex from $137.00 to $126.00 and set a &#34;hold&#34; rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Wolfe Research reduced their target price on shares of Paychex from $130.00 to $115.00 and set an &#34;underperform&#34; rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded shares of Paychex to a &#34;strong sell&#34; rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Jefferies Financial Group  set a $110.00 price target on shares of Paychex in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, TD Cowen  reaffirmed a &#34;hold&#34; rating on shares of Paychex in a research note on Monday, December 1st. One research analyst  has rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned  a Hold rating and four have assigned  a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of &#34;Reduce&#34; and a consensus target price of $121.38.</p><p><b>Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on PAYX</b></p><h2>Paychex Company Profile</h2> (Get Free Report)<p>Paychex, Inc, founded in 1971 by B. Thomas &#34;Tom&#34; Golisano and headquartered in Rochester, New York, is a provider of payroll, human resources, and benefits outsourcing solutions for small- and medium-sized businesses. The company's core services include payroll processing and tax filing, employee benefits administration, retirement services, and workers' compensation administration, designed to simplify back-office operations and help clients comply with regulatory and tax requirements.  </p><p>Paychex offers an integrated technology platform, marketed under the Paychex Flex brand, which delivers cloud-based payroll, HR, time and attendance, and reporting tools.</p><h2>Featured Stories</h2><ul><li>Five stocks we like better than Paychex</li></ul><p><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/EarningsChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5BU0RBUSZTeW1ib2w9UEFZWA?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="650" height="325" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/EarningsChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5BU0RBUSZTeW1ib2w9UEFZWA"/></p><p><em>This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.</em></p><h2>Should You Invest $1,000 in Paychex Right Now?</h2><p>Before you consider Paychex, you'll want to hear this.</p><p>MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Paychex wasn't on the list.</p><p>While Paychex currently has a Reduce rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.</p><p>View The Five Stocks Here</p>                  </div>

PAYX

<p>Paychex (NASDAQ:PAYX) reported quarterly earnings of $1.71 per share, exceeding expectations by $0.03. The company achieved a revenue of $1.81 billion, surpassing estimates of $1.78 billion, and marked a 19.9% increase year-over-year. Paychex also announced a quarterly dividend of $1.08 per share, with a yield of 4.8%. The firm has authorized a $1 billion stock buyback plan. Analysts have mixed ratings on the stock, with one Buy, fourteen Holds, and four Sells.</p>

Paychex (NASDAQ:PAYX) Announces Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.03 EPS