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Paychex (PAYX) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Paychex logo
$145.96 -1.46 (-0.99%)
Closing price 04:00 PM Eastern
Extended Trading
$145.78 -0.19 (-0.13%)
As of 05:44 PM Eastern
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Paychex - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2025)

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.

Consensus Rating

Sell
1
Hold
9
Buy
0

Based on 10 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for Paychex in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Reduce." Out of the 10 analysts, 1 has given a sell rating, and 9 have given a hold rating for PAYX.

Consensus Price Target

$149.11
2.16% Upside
According to the 10 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Paychex, the average price target is $149.11. The highest price target for PAYX is $165.00, while the lowest price target for PAYX is $131.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 2.16% from the current price of $145.96.
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PAYX Analyst Ratings Over Time

TypeCurrent Forecast
7/2/24 to 7/2/25
1 Month Ago
6/2/24 to 6/2/25
3 Months Ago
4/3/24 to 4/3/25
1 Year Ago
7/3/23 to 7/2/24
Strong Buy
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
0 Buy rating(s)
0 Buy rating(s)
0 Buy rating(s)
0 Buy rating(s)
Hold
9 Hold rating(s)
10 Hold rating(s)
11 Hold rating(s)
10 Hold rating(s)
Sell
1 Sell rating(s)
2 Sell rating(s)
2 Sell rating(s)
2 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target$149.11$141.00$138.83$122.46
Forecasted Upside2.16% Upside-10.48% Downside-9.57% Downside3.45% Upside
Consensus Rating
Reduce
Reduce
Reduce
Reduce

PAYX 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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PAYX 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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Paychex Stock vs. The Competition

TypePaychexComputer and Technology CompaniesS&P 500
Consensus Rating Score
1.90
2.66
2.53
Consensus RatingReduceModerate BuyModerate Buy
Predicted Upside2.42% Upside93.43% Upside10.42% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Positive News

See Recent PAYX News
Positive News
Positive News
DateBrokerageAnalyst NameActionRatingPrice TargetUpside/Downside on Report DateDetails
6/27/2025Morgan Stanley
3 of 5 stars
James Faucette
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Lower TargetEqual Weight ➝ Equal Weight$150.00 ➝ $148.00+3.03%
6/26/2025Stifel Nicolaus
4 of 5 stars
David Grossman
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Lower TargetHold ➝ Hold$156.00 ➝ $152.00+8.28%
6/26/2025UBS Group
3 of 5 stars
Kevin Mcveigh
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Lower TargetNeutral ➝ Neutral$155.00 ➝ $145.00+2.86%
6/26/2025Jefferies Financial Group
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Samad Samana
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Set TargetHold ➝ Hold$155.00 ➝ $140.00+1.49%
6/24/2025Barclays
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Ramsey El-Assal
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Set TargetEqual Weight ➝ Equal Weight$155.00+2.91%
6/24/2025Citigroup
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Peter Christiansen
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Set TargetNeutral ➝ Neutral$158.00+4.90%
6/24/2025Royal Bank Of Canada
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Ashish Sabadra
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Set TargetSector Perform ➝ Sector Perform$165.00+9.55%
6/18/2025JPMorgan Chase & Co.
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Tien-Tsin Huang
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Boost TargetUnderweight ➝ Underweight$140.00 ➝ $148.00-2.71%
3/27/2025Cfra Research
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S. Gheewala
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UpgradeHold
10/2/2024TD Cowen
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 Boost TargetHold ➝ Hold$126.00 ➝ $131.00-7.37%
6/27/2024Bank of America
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 Boost TargetUnderperform ➝ Underperform$111.00 ➝ $113.00-3.74%
6/27/2024Robert W. Baird
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 Lower TargetNeutral ➝ Neutral$126.00 ➝ $124.00+5.63%
4/3/2024Wedbush
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 Reiterated RatingNeutral ➝ Neutral$115.00-5.80%
3/26/2024Evercore ISI
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 Reiterated RatingIn-Line ➝ In-Line$118.00-1.14%
10/3/2023Argus
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 Boost Target$125.00 ➝ $130.00+14.26%

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Wednesday at 06:41 PM ET.


Should I Buy Paychex Stock? PAYX 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 Sunday, June 29, 2025. Please send any questions or comments about these Paychex pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Paychex
Bull Case

green Wall Street bull icon

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in Paychex, Inc.:

  • The current stock price is around $149, reflecting a stable position in the market.
  • Paychex, Inc. has recently increased its quarterly dividend to $1.08, showcasing a commitment to returning value to shareholders.
  • Institutional investors and hedge funds own a significant 83.47% of the company's stock, indicating strong confidence from major financial players.
  • Analysts have given Paychex, Inc. an average rating of "Hold," suggesting that it is viewed as a stable investment with potential for growth.
  • The company has shown resilience with an expected earnings per share of 4.99 for the current fiscal year, indicating solid financial performance.

Paychex
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

Investors should be bearish about investing in Paychex, Inc. for these reasons:

  • Recent analyst reports have seen target prices adjusted downwards, with UBS Group lowering its target from $155 to $145, which may indicate concerns about future growth.
  • One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, suggesting potential risks that could affect the stock's performance.
  • The company's payout ratio is currently at 90.00%, which may raise concerns about sustainability in dividend payments if earnings do not grow.
  • Despite recent growth in institutional holdings, the overall market sentiment appears cautious, which could impact stock performance.
  • Paychex, Inc. operates in a competitive market for human capital management solutions, which may pressure margins and growth potential.

PAYX Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 10 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Paychex is $149.11, with a high forecast of $165.00 and a low forecast of $131.00.

10 Wall Street analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Paychex in the last twelve months. There is currently 1 sell rating and 9 hold ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street analysts is that investors should "reduce" PAYX shares.

According to analysts, Paychex's stock has a predicted upside of 2.16% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Paychex has been rated by research analysts at Barclays, Citigroup, Jefferies Financial Group, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Morgan Stanley, Royal Bank Of Canada, Stifel Nicolaus, and UBS Group in the past 90 days.

Analysts like Paychex less than other "computer and technology" companies. The consensus rating for Paychex is Reduce while the average consensus rating for "computer and technology" companies is Moderate Buy. Learn more on how PAYX compares to other companies.


This page (NASDAQ:PAYX) was last updated on 7/2/2025 by MarketBeat.com Staff
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