Harmony Asset Management LLC Decreases Stock Holdings in Paychex, Inc. $PAYX

Harmony Asset Management LLC trimmed its position in shares of Paychex, Inc. (NASDAQ:PAYXFree Report) by 65.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 6,718 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 12,758 shares during the quarter. Harmony Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Paychex were worth $754,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Paychex during the third quarter valued at about $27,000. Stance Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Paychex in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. MMA Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Paychex in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Westfuller Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Paychex in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, Caitlin John LLC purchased a new position in shares of Paychex in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 83.47% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Paychex Stock Performance

PAYX opened at $94.92 on Thursday. Paychex, Inc. has a 12-month low of $85.45 and a 12-month high of $161.24. The company has a current ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.01 billion, a PE ratio of 20.91 and a beta of 0.84. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $91.96 and a two-hundred day moving average of $101.66.

Paychex (NASDAQ:PAYXGet Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 25th. The business services provider reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.67 by $0.04. Paychex had a net margin of 25.84% and a return on equity of 48.52%. The company had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.78 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.49 EPS. Paychex’s revenue for the quarter was up 19.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that Paychex, Inc. will post 5.5 EPS for the current year.

Paychex Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 13th will be issued a dividend of $1.19 per share. This is a positive change from Paychex’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.08. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 13th. This represents a $4.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.0%. Paychex’s payout ratio is presently 104.85%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on shares of Paychex from $148.00 to $125.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised shares of Paychex to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Paychex in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Guggenheim assumed coverage on shares of Paychex in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of Paychex from $98.00 to $94.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $106.38.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Paychex

Paychex Company Profile

(Free Report)

Paychex, Inc, founded in 1971 by B. Thomas “Tom” 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.

Paychex offers an integrated technology platform, marketed under the Paychex Flex brand, which delivers cloud-based payroll, HR, time and attendance, and reporting tools.

Further Reading

Institutional Ownership by Quarter for Paychex (NASDAQ:PAYX)

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