Boston Trust Walden Corp Lowers Stock Holdings in Automatic Data Processing, Inc. $ADP

Key Points

• Boston Trust Walden trimmed its stake in Automatic Data Processing by 11.2% in Q4, selling 52,620 shares and now owning 418,158 shares worth about $107.56M, roughly 0.8% of its portfolio (its 21st largest holding).
• ADP beat Q4 estimates with EPS $2.62 vs. $2.57 and revenue of $5.36B, and set FY2026 guidance of 10.091–11.011 EPS, while sell-side consensus holds a "Hold" rating and an average price target of $273.85.
• The board approved a $6.0 billion share buyback (up to ~5.8% of outstanding shares) and declared a quarterly dividend of $1.70 ($6.80 annualized, ~3.4% yield).

Boston Trust Walden Corp trimmed its position in Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADP - Free Report) by 11.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 418,158 shares of the business services provider's stock after selling 52,620 shares during the quarter. Automatic Data Processing makes up approximately 0.8% of Boston Trust Walden Corp's portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. Boston Trust Walden Corp owned approximately 0.10% of Automatic Data Processing worth $107,563,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of ADP. Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Automatic Data Processing in the third quarter worth about $25,000. TruNorth Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Automatic Data Processing in the third quarter worth about $28,000. Cloud Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Automatic Data Processing in the third quarter worth about $29,000. Board of the Pension Protection Fund purchased a new stake in shares of Automatic Data Processing in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Y.D. More Investments Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Automatic Data Processing in the third quarter worth about $32,000. 80.03% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Automatic Data Processing

In other Automatic Data Processing news, VP Christopher D'ambrosio sold 543 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $208.45, for a total transaction of $113,188.35. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 8,912 shares in the company, valued at $1,857,706.40. This trade represents a 5.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Brian L. Michaud sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.18, for a total transaction of $234,180.00. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 15,310 shares in the company, valued at $3,585,295.80. The trade was a 6.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 1,809 shares of company stock worth $410,410 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.20% of the company's stock.

Automatic Data Processing Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of ADP opened at $202.87 on Wednesday. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $208.23 and its 200 day simple moving average is $242.18. The company has a market capitalization of $81.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.51 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 1.03. Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has a 1-year low of $188.16 and a 1-year high of $329.93.

Automatic Data Processing (NASDAQ:ADP - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The business services provider reported $2.62 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.57 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.34 billion. Automatic Data Processing had a net margin of 19.96% and a return on equity of 68.44%. Automatic Data Processing's quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.35 earnings per share. Automatic Data Processing has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.091-11.011 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Automatic Data Processing, Inc. will post 10.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Automatic Data Processing declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, January 14th that allows the company to buyback $6.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the business services provider to purchase up to 5.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Automatic Data Processing Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 12th will be given a dividend of $1.70 per share. This represents a $6.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 12th. Automatic Data Processing's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 65.38%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ADP has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on shares of Automatic Data Processing from $280.00 to $270.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 9th. Cantor Fitzgerald lowered their target price on shares of Automatic Data Processing from $306.00 to $244.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Automatic Data Processing from $295.00 to $275.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Guggenheim started coverage on shares of Automatic Data Processing in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $270.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Automatic Data Processing from $303.00 to $265.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $273.85.

Automatic Data Processing Company 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.

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