Paylocity (NASDAQ:PCTY) Price Target Raised to $180.00

Key Points

• BTIG Research raised Paylocity’s price target from $150 to $180 and maintained a “buy” rating, implying 25.59% upside from the prior close.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive: 12 analysts rate the stock a Buy, four a Hold and one a Sell, producing a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average target of $157.29.
• Paylocity exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $1.84 in earnings per share versus a $1.62 consensus estimate and $444.73 million in revenue, up 11% year over year.

Paylocity (NASDAQ:PCTY - Get Free Report) had its price objective lifted by equities researchers at BTIG Research from $150.00 to $180.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "buy" rating on the software maker's stock. BTIG Research's target price would indicate a potential upside of 25.59% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on PCTY. Citizens Jmp lowered their target price on shares of Paylocity from $170.00 to $150.00 and set a "market outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 8th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Paylocity from $143.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Paylocity from $120.00 to $128.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $165.00 price target on shares of Paylocity in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Raymond James Financial set a $140.00 price target on Paylocity in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $157.29.

Paylocity Stock Up 2.5%

PCTY stock opened at $143.32 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $116.80 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $114.33. The company has a market cap of $7.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.56 and a beta of 0.48. Paylocity has a twelve month low of $92.99 and a twelve month high of $197.78.

Paylocity (NASDAQ:PCTY - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The software maker reported $1.84 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.62 by $0.22. The firm had revenue of $444.73 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $431.46 million. Paylocity had a return on equity of 25.63% and a net margin of 14.94%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 11.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.56 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Paylocity will post 5.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Andrew Cappotelli sold 899 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.05, for a total transaction of $103,429.95. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 17,679 shares in the company, valued at $2,033,968.95. The trade was a 4.84% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 19.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Paylocity

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PCTY. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. acquired a new stake in Paylocity during the 3rd quarter worth about $104,657,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Paylocity in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $88,428,000. Morgan Stanley lifted its stake in Paylocity by 117.9% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 817,209 shares of the software maker's stock valued at $124,625,000 after buying an additional 442,218 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Paylocity by 75.1% during the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 943,591 shares of the software maker's stock worth $143,747,000 after buying an additional 404,605 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in shares of Paylocity by 261.2% during the 4th quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 534,487 shares of the software maker's stock worth $81,509,000 after buying an additional 386,494 shares in the last quarter. 94.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More Paylocity News

Here are the key news stories impacting Paylocity this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings and revenue exceeded expectations: Paylocity reported fiscal Q4 adjusted earnings of $1.84 per share, above estimates ranging from $1.54 to $1.62 and up from $1.56 a year earlier. Revenue reached $444.73 million, beating the $431.46 million consensus estimate and increasing 11% year over year. Paylocity Q4 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Forward revenue guidance topped expectations: Management forecast first-quarter fiscal 2027 revenue of $439.5 million to $444.5 million, compared with the $438.6 million analyst consensus. The above-consensus outlook supports expectations for continued business momentum. Paylocity exceeds expectations and provides guidance
• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets raised its price target: BMO increased its target from $143 to $175 and assigned an “outperform” rating, implying substantial upside from the referenced trading level. The upgrade indicates improved confidence in Paylocity’s earnings growth and valuation potential.
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor focus now turns to management commentary: The fiscal Q4 earnings call addressed the results, outlook and operating trends, which may provide additional insight into demand, margins and Paylocity’s growth strategy. Paylocity Q4 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Paylocity Company Profile

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.

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