PAYX

PAYX

Paychex

Dividend / Cash flow

★ Quality 64/100
Overvalued

Price today

$121.71

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See what it is worth

charlieapp.co

What this business is made of

64qualityReturnsMoatBalance sheetPricing powerReinvestment

The business

Paychex handles payroll for the small business that would rather not think about it.

Paychex manages payroll, human resources, and benefits for small and mid-sized businesses in the U.S. It charges recurring subscriptions and a fee per employee processed, plus the interest it earns on the payroll money it holds between collecting and paying it out. Revenue of $6.5B with a 74% gross margin.

The cost of switching payroll providers is high: nobody risks paying their employees or the taxman wrong just to save a few dollars. Thousands of small, sticky clients, each paying little but staying for years. Not an impregnable moat, but a calm and repeatable one.

Revenue history

$4.9B
2022
$5.0B
2023
$5.3B
2024
$5.6B
2025
$6.5B
2026
CAGR 5 años: +7%

From $4.9B to $6.5B in 4 years. The business grows steadily.

Where each $100 of sales goes

Revenue $6.5B · FY2026

Cost of sales$1.7B · 26%
Operations$2.3B · 36%
Taxes and other$750M · 12%
Net profit$1.8B · 27%

Of every $100 in sales, $73 goes to costs and operations; $27 is left as net profit (27% margin).

Catalysts and risks

Paycor integration: lifts revenue to $6.5B in FY2026 and opens cross-selling.

High interest rates fatten what it earns on held payroll funds.

8% annual growth in a fragmented SMB market.

⚠️

$4.6B in debt against $1.1B in cash after buying Paycor.

⚠️

Less SMB employment reduces payrolls processed and per-employee fees.

⚠️

Rate cuts shrink the 'free' income on held funds.

Charlie's note

A boring and profitable business, just the way I like them. Paying 17x for a compounder that grows 8% with 74% margins isn't a steal, but it isn't a gift either — the quality is already in the price.

Analysis · July 2026

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