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Automatic Data Processing (ADP) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Automatic Data Processing logo
$277.62 -5.91 (-2.08%)
As of 04:00 PM Eastern

Automatic Data Processing - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2026)

Consensus Rating

Sell
1
Hold
8
Buy
3

Based on 12 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for Automatic Data Processing in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold." Out of the 12 analysts, 1 has given a sell rating, 8 have given a hold rating, and 3 have given a buy rating for ADP.

Consensus Price Target

$273.50
-1.48% Downside
According to the 12 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Automatic Data Processing, the average price target is $273.50. The highest price target for ADP is $310.00, while the lowest price target for ADP is $190.00. The average price target represents a forecasted downside of -1.48% from the current price of $277.62.
MarketBeat calculates consensus analyst ratings for stocks using the most recent rating from each Wall Street analyst that has rated a stock within the last twelve months. Each analyst's rating is normalized to a standardized rating score of 1 (sell), 2 (hold), 3 (buy) or 4 (strong buy). Analyst consensus ratings scores are calculated using the mean average of the number of normalized sell, hold, buy and strong buy ratings from Wall Street analysts. Each stock's consensus analyst rating is derived from its calculated consensus ratings score (0 to .5 = Strong Sell, .5 to 1 = Sell, 1 to 1.5 = Reduce, 1.5 to 2.5 = Hold, 2.5 to 3.0 = Moderate Buy, 3.0 to 3.5 = Buy, >3.5 = Strong Buy). MarketBeat's consensus price targets are a mean average of the most recent available price targets set by each analyst that has set a price target for the stock in the last twelve months. MarketBeat's consensus ratings and consensus price targets may differ from those calculated by other firms due to differences in methodology and available data.
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ADP Analyst Ratings Over Time

TypeCurrent Forecast
9/4/25 to 9/4/26
1 Month Ago
8/5/25 to 8/5/26
3 Months Ago
6/6/25 to 6/6/26
1 Year Ago
9/4/24 to 9/4/25
Strong Buy
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
3 Buy rating(s)
3 Buy rating(s)
3 Buy rating(s)
2 Buy rating(s)
Hold
8 Hold rating(s)
9 Hold rating(s)
9 Hold rating(s)
10 Hold rating(s)
Sell
1 Sell rating(s)
1 Sell rating(s)
1 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target$273.50$273.50$244.29$317.00
Forecasted Upside-1.48% Downside1.26% Upside5.32% Upside5.25% Upside
Consensus RatingHoldHoldHoldHold

ADP Analyst Recommendations By Month

The chart below shows how a company's ratings by analysts have changed over time. Each bar represents the previous year of ratings for that month. Within each bar, the sell ratings are shown in red, the hold ratings are shown in yellow, the buy ratings are shown in green, and the strong buy ratings are shown in dark green.
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ADP Price Targets by Month

The chart below shows how a company's share price and consensus price target have changed over time. The dark blue line represents the company's actual price. The lighter blue line represents the stock's consensus price target. The even lighter blue range in the background of the two lines represents the low price target and the high price target for each stock.
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Automatic Data Processing Stock vs. The Competition

TypeAutomatic Data ProcessingIndustrials CompaniesBroader Market
Consensus Rating Score
2.17
2.30
2.53
Consensus RatingHoldHoldModerate Buy
Predicted Upside-1.72% Downside94.54% Upside13.93% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Positive News

See Recent ADP News
Positive News
Positive News
DateBrokerageAnalystActionRatingPrice TargetReport Date
Upside/Downside
Details
8/3/2026
Cantor Fitzgerald logo
Cantor Fitzgerald
5 of 5 stars
Boost TargetOverweight$295.00 ➝ $310.00+16.34%
7/30/2026
Citigroup Inc. logo
Citigroup
4 of 5 stars
Bryan Keane
Not Rated
Boost TargetNeutral$230.00 ➝ $287.00+8.92%
7/30/2026
Morgan Stanley logo
Morgan Stanley
3 of 5 stars
James Faucette
1 of 5 stars
Boost TargetEqual Weight$240.00 ➝ $286.00+9.51%
7/30/2026Boost TargetHold$260.00 ➝ $285.00+9.23%
7/30/2026Boost TargetEqual Weight$248.00 ➝ $283.00+9.80%
7/30/2026Boost TargetBuy$270.00 ➝ $300.00+13.55%
7/29/2026 Boost TargetMarket Perform$248.00 ➝ $305.00+11.63%
7/22/2026Boost TargetNeutral$260.00 ➝ $270.00+11.16%
7/21/2026 UpgradeHold (C-)Hold (C)
7/6/2026Boost TargetHold$216.00 ➝ $223.00-6.33%
5/5/2026Lower TargetBuy$300.00 ➝ $240.00+15.27%
4/30/2026 Lower Target$332.00 ➝ $305.00+43.43%
4/30/2026 Lower Target$230.00 ➝ $190.00-10.65%
4/30/2026 Lower Target$300.00 ➝ $270.00+26.97%
1/29/2026Lower TargetUnderweight$295.00 ➝ $275.00+11.39%
8/21/2025 UpgradeHold
6/5/2025Reiterated RatingSector Perform$315.00-3.31%
5/21/2025Boost TargetHold$298.00 ➝ $321.00-0.56%
2/3/2025Boost TargetOverweight$325.00 ➝ $350.00+15.51%

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Friday at 09:07 PM ET.


Should I Buy Automatic Data Processing Stock? ADP Pros and Cons Explained

These pros and cons were generated based on recent news and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate insights. They were last updated on Wednesday, September 2, 2026. Please send any questions or comments about these Automatic Data Processing pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Automatic Data Processing
Bull Case

green Wall Street bull icon

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in Automatic Data Processing, Inc.:

  • Automatic Data Processing, Inc. recently reported strong financial performance for the quarter ended July 29, 2026, beating consensus estimates with an earnings per share of $2.64 compared to the expected $2.59, while also generating revenue of $5.47 billion, which exceeded the consensus estimate of $5.44 billion and represented a 6.8% year-over-year increase.
  • The company offers a compelling income opportunity with a dividend yield of 2.37%, supported by a recent quarterly dividend announcement of $1.70 per share to be paid on October 1, 2026, which provides a steady cash flow for income-focused investors despite the current stock price of $281.16.
  • Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has demonstrated consistent operational strength with a net margin of 20.11% and a return on equity of 71.34% in the most recent quarter, indicating efficient capital management and profitability that supports long-term shareholder value.
  • Institutional investors are showing renewed confidence in the stock, with Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC increasing its position by 16.1% in the second quarter and BlackRock Inc. acquiring a new position valued at approximately $8.1 billion, suggesting that large-scale capital is recognizing the company's fundamental value.
  • The stock is trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.70, which is below the consensus price target of $273.50 set by analysts who maintain a Hold rating, indicating that the current valuation may offer a reasonable entry point relative to the company's growth trajectory and earnings power.

Automatic Data Processing
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

Investors should be bearish about investing in Automatic Data Processing, Inc. for these reasons:

  • Recent insider activity has been predominantly negative, with Vice President David Kwon selling 2,414 shares on July 30, 2026, and Vice President Brian L. Michaud selling 120 shares on August 21, 2026, which may signal a lack of confidence from company leadership in the current stock price of $281.16.
  • Short interest in Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has been rising, with shares shorted increasing to 11,138,012 as of August 14, 2026, representing a short percentage of float of 2.81%, which suggests that a significant portion of the market is betting on a decline in the stock price.
  • The company's stock has underperformed the broader technology sector over the past year, with the price falling from a 52-week high of $302.68 to the current level of $281.16, indicating that investors are currently favoring other growth opportunities in the tech space.
  • Automatic Data Processing, Inc. carries a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, which, while manageable, indicates a significant level of leverage that could constrain financial flexibility in a rising interest rate environment or during periods of economic uncertainty.
  • Analyst consensus remains at a Hold rating with a price target of $273.50, which is below the current stock price of $281.16, suggesting that the stock may be overvalued relative to the average analyst expectation for its future performance.

ADP Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 12 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Automatic Data Processing is $273.50, with a high forecast of $310.00 and a low forecast of $190.00.

12 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Automatic Data Processing in the last year. There is currently 1 sell rating, 8 hold ratings and 3 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street research analysts is that investors should "hold" ADP shares. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in ADP, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares.

According to analysts, Automatic Data Processing's stock has a predicted downside of -1.48% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Over the previous 90 days, Automatic Data Processing's stock had 1 upgrade by analysts.

Automatic Data Processing has been rated by research analysts at BMO Capital Markets, Cantor Fitzgerald, Citigroup, Guggenheim, Morgan Stanley, Stifel Nicolaus, TD Cowen, UBS Group, Weiss Ratings, and Wells Fargo & Company in the past 90 days.

Analysts like Automatic Data Processing less than other "industrials" companies. The consensus rating score for Automatic Data Processing is 2.17 while the average consensus rating score for "industrials" companies is 2.30. Learn more on how ADP compares to other companies.


MarketBeat monitors more than a dozen sources for Automatic Data Processing analyst ratings, with the most recent rating issued on 8/3/2026.
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