Common Stock Valuation Ratios (Price Multiples)
Quarterly Data
Valuation ratios measure the quantity of an asset or flaw (e.g., earnings) associated with ownership of a specified claim (e.g., a share of ownership of the enterprise).
Historical Valuation Ratios (Summary)
Automatic Data Processing Inc., historical price multiples (quarterly data)
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2019-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2019-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2019-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2018-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2018-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2018-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2018-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2017-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2017-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2017-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2017-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2016-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2016-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2016-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2016-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2015-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2015-09-30).
The financial ratios presented exhibit notable patterns and fluctuations over the observed periods, reflecting changes in valuation metrics and possibly underlying business performance.
- Price to Earnings (P/E) Ratio
- The P/E ratio was around the mid-20s in late 2015 and early 2016, showing a steady upward trend throughout 2016 and into 2018, peaking in the high 30s during early 2018. Subsequently, it declined gradually through 2019 before dropping more sharply around early 2020, coinciding with external economic disruptions typically observed during that period. After this dip, the ratio recovered steadily, reaching above 35 by the end of 2021 and early 2022, indicating an increasing market valuation relative to earnings over the long term.
- Price to Operating Profit (P/OP) Ratio
- This ratio experienced a gradual increase starting from approximately 17.9 in late 2015 to over 23 by mid-2018, reflecting a growing premium on operating profit. There was some volatility thereafter, with a notable decline during the first half of 2020, aligning with disruptions affecting operating profitability. Post-2020, the ratio trended upward again, ultimately exceeding 25 by early 2022, suggesting a renewed investor confidence in the company's operational earnings.
- Price to Sales (P/S) Ratio
- The P/S ratio showed consistent growth from about 3.4 in late 2015 to above 4.5 by early 2019, indicating increased valuation of sales revenue. There was some downward movement during the first half of 2020, mirroring the broader economic impact during that timeframe. Following that period, the ratio climbed markedly, reaching nearly 6.2 in early 2022, which suggests that the market assigned a higher value to each unit of sales over time.
- Price to Book Value (P/BV) Ratio
- The P/BV ratio demonstrated a steady rise from below 9 in late 2015 to nearly 17 in early 2018, reflecting growing shareholder value relative to book equity. Following a slight decline and fluctuation between 13 and 17 through 2019 and 2020, the ratio surged again, culminating at over 21 by early 2022. This increase may indicate market perceptions of enhanced asset quality or expectations of future earnings growth.
Overall, the analysis of these valuation ratios reveals an upward trend in market valuations relative to earnings, operating profits, sales, and book value over the multi-year period. Periods of decline or stagnation coincide temporally with widely recognized economic challenges, particularly around early 2020, from which gradual recovery and subsequent growth are evident. These patterns suggest sustained investor confidence in the company's financial prospects despite interim disruptions.
Price to Earnings (P/E)
Automatic Data Processing Inc., historical P/E calculation (quarterly data)
| Mar 31, 2022 | Dec 31, 2021 | Sep 30, 2021 | Jun 30, 2021 | Mar 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | Sep 30, 2020 | Jun 30, 2020 | Mar 31, 2020 | Dec 31, 2019 | Sep 30, 2019 | Jun 30, 2019 | Mar 31, 2019 | Dec 31, 2018 | Sep 30, 2018 | Jun 30, 2018 | Mar 31, 2018 | Dec 31, 2017 | Sep 30, 2017 | Jun 30, 2017 | Mar 31, 2017 | Dec 31, 2016 | Sep 30, 2016 | Jun 30, 2016 | Mar 31, 2016 | Dec 31, 2015 | Sep 30, 2015 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. shares of common stock outstanding1 | 417,747,152 | 420,045,265 | 421,384,042 | 423,080,556 | 425,518,320 | 427,940,220 | 428,813,999 | 429,965,405 | 429,774,376 | 431,754,252 | 432,698,089 | 433,942,837 | 435,228,237 | 435,629,656 | 437,732,499 | 438,082,756 | 440,522,324 | 443,269,657 | 443,489,730 | 444,374,752 | 447,410,344 | 448,902,582 | 451,173,217 | 456,176,951 | 455,534,803 | 457,451,131 | 461,206,624 | ||||||||
| Selected Financial Data (US$) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net earnings (in thousands) | 928,500) | 694,400) | 700,500) | 538,200) | 810,700) | 647,500) | 602,100) | 411,600) | 820,900) | 651,600) | 582,400) | 475,500) | 753,700) | 558,200) | 505,400) | 108,700) | 643,100) | 467,500) | 401,500) | 265,900) | 587,900) | 510,900) | 368,700) | 282,000) | 532,500) | 341,400) | 336,600) | ||||||||
| Earnings per share (EPS)2 | 6.85 | 6.53 | 6.40 | 6.14 | 5.81 | 5.80 | 5.80 | 5.74 | 5.89 | 5.71 | 5.48 | 5.28 | 4.43 | 4.17 | 3.94 | 3.70 | 4.04 | 3.89 | 3.98 | 3.90 | 3.91 | 3.77 | 3.38 | 3.27 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||||||
| Share price1, 3 | 218.18 | 206.17 | 224.49 | 212.00 | 186.99 | 166.35 | 157.96 | 134.77 | 140.42 | 171.39 | 161.88 | 167.73 | 160.19 | 139.84 | 140.91 | 134.25 | 125.36 | 120.42 | 114.34 | 111.39 | 99.10 | 95.25 | 89.33 | 89.67 | 86.45 | 82.15 | 86.98 | ||||||||
| Valuation Ratio | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| P/E ratio4 | 31.85 | 31.56 | 35.08 | 34.52 | 32.19 | 28.68 | 27.24 | 23.49 | 23.85 | 30.04 | 29.56 | 31.75 | 36.20 | 33.56 | 35.76 | 36.29 | 31.06 | 30.98 | 28.71 | 28.56 | 25.34 | 25.24 | 26.44 | 27.41 | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Benchmarks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| P/E Ratio, Competitors5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Accenture PLC | 27.30 | 31.69 | 40.88 | 36.58 | 32.02 | 31.11 | 31.97 | 28.32 | 27.95 | 20.33 | 27.24 | 24.58 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Adobe Inc. | 27.18 | 35.27 | 45.03 | 48.90 | 47.07 | 49.98 | 40.82 | 41.69 | 58.43 | 55.97 | 45.60 | 57.17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Cadence Design Systems Inc. | 55.98 | 59.24 | 56.00 | 53.88 | 66.92 | 59.14 | 61.38 | 62.89 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Fair Isaac Corp. | 32.23 | 22.83 | 28.46 | 27.12 | 39.89 | 51.31 | 53.58 | 56.83 | 54.83 | 44.64 | 57.71 | 49.99 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| International Business Machines Corp. | 95.23 | 20.78 | 22.19 | 19.40 | 23.26 | 23.99 | 23.63 | 19.30 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Intuit Inc. | 40.47 | 63.28 | 85.13 | 75.17 | 56.40 | 62.56 | 48.28 | 49.52 | 56.56 | 45.75 | 44.67 | 48.17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Microsoft Corp. | 27.89 | 30.38 | 34.30 | 35.14 | 35.22 | 34.15 | 33.95 | 35.04 | 29.08 | 28.84 | 25.48 | 26.86 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Oracle Corp. | 27.46 | 26.70 | 17.45 | 15.84 | 15.15 | 17.19 | 17.88 | 16.69 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Palantir Technologies Inc. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Palo Alto Networks Inc. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Salesforce Inc. | 147.95 | 110.94 | 48.91 | 48.20 | 58.10 | 104.23 | — | 1,204.70 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| ServiceNow Inc. | 417.74 | 479.20 | 452.04 | 487.70 | 620.23 | 681.34 | 654.66 | 978.47 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Synopsys Inc. | 53.76 | 46.52 | 48.45 | 73.37 | 64.13 | 45.71 | 56.52 | 55.92 | 51.53 | 54.36 | 46.45 | 39.55 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Workday Inc. | 2,418.34 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2019-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2019-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2019-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2018-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2018-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2018-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2018-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2017-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2017-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2017-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2017-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2016-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2016-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2016-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2016-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2015-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2015-09-30).
1 Data adjusted for splits and stock dividends.
2 Q3 2022 Calculation
EPS
= (Net earningsQ3 2022
+ Net earningsQ2 2022
+ Net earningsQ1 2022
+ Net earningsQ4 2021)
÷ No. shares of common stock outstanding
= (928,500,000 + 694,400,000 + 700,500,000 + 538,200,000)
÷ 417,747,152 = 6.85
3 Closing price as at the filing date of Automatic Data Processing Inc. Quarterly or Annual Report.
4 Q3 2022 Calculation
P/E ratio = Share price ÷ EPS
= 218.18 ÷ 6.85 = 31.85
5 Click competitor name to see calculations.
The quarterly financial data reveals several notable trends and developments over the observed periods.
- Share Price
- The share price generally exhibited an upward trajectory from late 2015 through early 2022, rising from approximately $87 to over $218. Several periods experienced significant increases, most notably from mid-2017 to early 2018 and again from late 2020 onwards. However, some volatility is observable with occasional declines, such as the dip in the first half of 2020, likely reflecting market uncertainties during that period.
- Earnings Per Share (EPS)
- EPS data, available starting from the quarter ending March 31, 2016, shows a consistent upward trend. Earnings steadily increased from an initial value around $3.27 to $6.85 by March 31, 2022. This doubling of EPS over the period indicates improving profitability and suggests efficient operational performance and potential revenue growth. Minor fluctuations occur, but the overall direction is positive.
- Price-to-Earnings (P/E) Ratio
- The P/E ratio remained relatively stable but showed variability within a range approximately between 23.5 and 36.5. Early periods of data indicate ratios around 25 to 30, with a peak above 36 occurring around late 2018. The ratio then declined to about 23.5 in mid-2020 before rising again towards 31 approaching early 2022. This fluctuation suggests changing market sentiment and valuation relative to earnings, with investors possibly factoring in growth prospects, risk perceptions, and broader market conditions.
Overall, the data reflects a company with a strengthening earnings profile and rising market valuation, albeit with periods of volatility influenced by broader market or economic conditions. The combination of rising EPS and increasing share price supports the view of solid financial health and positive investor confidence during the reported timeframe. The varying P/E ratio indicates shifts in valuation perspectives, which is typical in dynamic market environments.
Price to Operating Profit (P/OP)
Automatic Data Processing Inc., historical P/OP calculation (quarterly data)
| Mar 31, 2022 | Dec 31, 2021 | Sep 30, 2021 | Jun 30, 2021 | Mar 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | Sep 30, 2020 | Jun 30, 2020 | Mar 31, 2020 | Dec 31, 2019 | Sep 30, 2019 | Jun 30, 2019 | Mar 31, 2019 | Dec 31, 2018 | Sep 30, 2018 | Jun 30, 2018 | Mar 31, 2018 | Dec 31, 2017 | Sep 30, 2017 | Jun 30, 2017 | Mar 31, 2017 | Dec 31, 2016 | Sep 30, 2016 | Jun 30, 2016 | Mar 31, 2016 | Dec 31, 2015 | Sep 30, 2015 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. shares of common stock outstanding1 | 417,747,152 | 420,045,265 | 421,384,042 | 423,080,556 | 425,518,320 | 427,940,220 | 428,813,999 | 429,965,405 | 429,774,376 | 431,754,252 | 432,698,089 | 433,942,837 | 435,228,237 | 435,629,656 | 437,732,499 | 438,082,756 | 440,522,324 | 443,269,657 | 443,489,730 | 444,374,752 | 447,410,344 | 448,902,582 | 451,173,217 | 456,176,951 | 455,534,803 | 457,451,131 | 461,206,624 | ||||||||
| Selected Financial Data (US$) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating income (in thousands) | 1,183,300) | 901,900) | 890,500) | 690,800) | 1,060,900) | 817,500) | 755,400) | 544,100) | 1,052,100) | 821,100) | 724,400) | 623,400) | 985,200) | 747,000) | 668,800) | 529,700) | 860,500) | 571,500) | 550,000) | 387,700) | 834,800) | 578,700) | 525,600) | 429,500) | 801,500) | 497,300) | 462,200) | ||||||||
| Operating profit per share2 | 8.78 | 8.44 | 8.21 | 7.86 | 7.47 | 7.41 | 7.40 | 7.31 | 7.49 | 7.31 | 7.12 | 6.97 | 6.73 | 6.44 | 6.01 | 5.73 | 5.38 | 5.29 | 5.30 | 5.24 | 5.29 | 5.20 | 5.00 | 4.80 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||||||
| Share price1, 3 | 218.18 | 206.17 | 224.49 | 212.00 | 186.99 | 166.35 | 157.96 | 134.77 | 140.42 | 171.39 | 161.88 | 167.73 | 160.19 | 139.84 | 140.91 | 134.25 | 125.36 | 120.42 | 114.34 | 111.39 | 99.10 | 95.25 | 89.33 | 89.67 | 86.45 | 82.15 | 86.98 | ||||||||
| Valuation Ratio | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| P/OP ratio4 | 24.86 | 24.44 | 27.34 | 26.98 | 25.04 | 22.46 | 21.35 | 18.44 | 18.74 | 23.46 | 22.74 | 24.07 | 23.79 | 21.71 | 23.45 | 23.42 | 23.30 | 22.77 | 21.57 | 21.27 | 18.72 | 18.31 | 17.88 | 18.67 | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Benchmarks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| P/OP Ratio, Competitors5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Accenture PLC | 19.98 | 23.62 | 31.03 | 28.35 | 25.67 | 24.96 | 25.29 | 22.21 | 21.16 | 15.44 | 20.55 | 18.63 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Adobe Inc. | 21.47 | 28.50 | 36.67 | 40.64 | 49.83 | 54.24 | 47.80 | 51.75 | 56.53 | 54.83 | 41.99 | 51.63 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Cadence Design Systems Inc. | 41.53 | 46.31 | 46.60 | 48.13 | 60.37 | 53.96 | 56.52 | 57.54 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Fair Isaac Corp. | 22.70 | 16.86 | 21.12 | 21.03 | 30.64 | 39.21 | 42.38 | 45.39 | 45.28 | 36.51 | 46.59 | 37.88 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| International Business Machines Corp. | 15.37 | 15.24 | 17.07 | 16.23 | 19.92 | 19.33 | 17.63 | 15.90 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Intuit Inc. | 33.22 | 53.54 | 71.64 | 62.00 | 46.48 | 52.54 | 39.99 | 41.56 | 49.11 | 39.04 | 37.66 | 40.45 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Microsoft Corp. | 24.66 | 27.51 | 31.35 | 30.79 | 30.72 | 29.13 | 28.71 | 29.30 | 25.90 | 25.91 | 22.91 | 24.54 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Oracle Corp. | 18.93 | 24.87 | 15.78 | 14.31 | 12.98 | 12.20 | 12.88 | 12.17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Palantir Technologies Inc. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Palo Alto Networks Inc. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Salesforce Inc. | 280.57 | 236.57 | 228.93 | 431.39 | 914.43 | 3,682.10 | — | 511.08 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| ServiceNow Inc. | 357.30 | 404.46 | 408.11 | 436.46 | 570.38 | 493.80 | 404.36 | 583.07 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Synopsys Inc. | 48.91 | 42.54 | 47.17 | 75.64 | 65.25 | 49.28 | 59.98 | 59.90 | 58.40 | 54.81 | 48.73 | 40.48 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Workday Inc. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2019-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2019-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2019-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2018-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2018-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2018-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2018-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2017-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2017-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2017-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2017-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2016-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2016-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2016-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2016-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2015-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2015-09-30).
1 Data adjusted for splits and stock dividends.
2 Q3 2022 Calculation
Operating profit per share
= (Operating incomeQ3 2022
+ Operating incomeQ2 2022
+ Operating incomeQ1 2022
+ Operating incomeQ4 2021)
÷ No. shares of common stock outstanding
= (1,183,300,000 + 901,900,000 + 890,500,000 + 690,800,000)
÷ 417,747,152 = 8.78
3 Closing price as at the filing date of Automatic Data Processing Inc. Quarterly or Annual Report.
4 Q3 2022 Calculation
P/OP ratio = Share price ÷ Operating profit per share
= 218.18 ÷ 8.78 = 24.86
5 Click competitor name to see calculations.
The share price exhibited a consistent upward trend from September 2015 through the end of 2021, increasing from $86.98 to a peak of $224.49 by December 2021. There were some fluctuations, particularly in the first half of 2020 when the share price declined notably from $171.39 in December 2019 to $134.77 in June 2020. After this dip, the price rapidly recovered and continued to climb through 2021, reaching new highs. From March 2022, there was a slight decrease to $206.17, with a subsequent increase to $218.18, indicating market volatility but generally maintaining high valuation levels compared to the earlier periods.
Operating profit per share (OP) started to be reported from June 2016, beginning at $4.8 and showing a steady rise over the examined periods. By March 2022, the OP had reached $8.78. The growth trajectory appears stable, with incremental increases each quarter and no observed decreases, suggesting continuous improvement in operational profitability per share.
The price-to-operating profit (P/OP) ratio showed more variability but an overall upward tendency from 18.67 in June 2016 to a peak of 27.34 in December 2021. The ratio indicates that shares were increasingly valued higher relative to the operating profit generated per share. Notably, in the period corresponding to the share price dip in early 2020, the P/OP ratio also fell sharply to around 18.44 by June 2020, reflecting a correction in market valuation relative to earnings. Following this, the ratio climbed again, surpassing previous levels and peaking close to 27 near the end of 2021, pointing to heightened market expectations or investor confidence despite incremental OP growth.
In summary, the data reflect a strong growth in share price accompanied by steadily improving operating profit per share over the years. However, the P/OP ratio's fluctuations highlight changing market perceptions and valuation sentiment, with increased price premiums relative to earnings in the later periods, notably during 2021. The temporary decline experienced in mid-2020 aligns with broader market challenges but was followed by a robust recovery.
- Share Price Trend
- Continuous growth from $86.98 (Sep 2015) to $224.49 (Dec 2021), with a temporary dip in the first half of 2020.
- Operating Profit per Share
- Steady increase from $4.8 (Jun 2016) to $8.78 (Mar 2022), indicating ongoing operational profitability improvement.
- Price to Operating Profit Ratio (P/OP)
- Variable but upward trend, rising from 18.67 (Jun 2016) to a peak of 27.34 (Dec 2021), reflecting higher valuation multiples over time.
- Market Volatility
- Notable share price and P/OP ratio decline during early 2020, with swift recovery and new highs by end of 2021.
Price to Sales (P/S)
Automatic Data Processing Inc., historical P/S calculation (quarterly data)
| Mar 31, 2022 | Dec 31, 2021 | Sep 30, 2021 | Jun 30, 2021 | Mar 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | Sep 30, 2020 | Jun 30, 2020 | Mar 31, 2020 | Dec 31, 2019 | Sep 30, 2019 | Jun 30, 2019 | Mar 31, 2019 | Dec 31, 2018 | Sep 30, 2018 | Jun 30, 2018 | Mar 31, 2018 | Dec 31, 2017 | Sep 30, 2017 | Jun 30, 2017 | Mar 31, 2017 | Dec 31, 2016 | Sep 30, 2016 | Jun 30, 2016 | Mar 31, 2016 | Dec 31, 2015 | Sep 30, 2015 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. shares of common stock outstanding1 | 417,747,152 | 420,045,265 | 421,384,042 | 423,080,556 | 425,518,320 | 427,940,220 | 428,813,999 | 429,965,405 | 429,774,376 | 431,754,252 | 432,698,089 | 433,942,837 | 435,228,237 | 435,629,656 | 437,732,499 | 438,082,756 | 440,522,324 | 443,269,657 | 443,489,730 | 444,374,752 | 447,410,344 | 448,902,582 | 451,173,217 | 456,176,951 | 455,534,803 | 457,451,131 | 461,206,624 | ||||||||
| Selected Financial Data (US$) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Revenues (in thousands) | 4,513,000) | 4,025,400) | 3,832,300) | 3,737,000) | 4,102,000) | 3,695,700) | 3,470,700) | 3,376,800) | 4,047,800) | 3,669,500) | 3,495,700) | 3,498,700) | 3,847,400) | 3,505,900) | 3,323,200) | 3,318,600) | 3,693,000) | 3,235,400) | 3,078,800) | 3,064,800) | 3,410,800) | 2,987,300) | 2,916,900) | 2,898,200) | 3,248,600) | 2,807,000) | 2,714,000) | ||||||||
| Sales per share2 | 38.56 | 37.37 | 36.47 | 35.47 | 34.42 | 34.10 | 33.97 | 33.93 | 34.23 | 33.61 | 33.16 | 32.67 | 32.16 | 31.77 | 31.00 | 30.42 | 29.67 | 28.85 | 28.28 | 27.86 | 27.30 | 26.85 | 26.31 | 25.58 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||||||
| Share price1, 3 | 218.18 | 206.17 | 224.49 | 212.00 | 186.99 | 166.35 | 157.96 | 134.77 | 140.42 | 171.39 | 161.88 | 167.73 | 160.19 | 139.84 | 140.91 | 134.25 | 125.36 | 120.42 | 114.34 | 111.39 | 99.10 | 95.25 | 89.33 | 89.67 | 86.45 | 82.15 | 86.98 | ||||||||
| Valuation Ratio | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| P/S ratio4 | 5.66 | 5.52 | 6.16 | 5.98 | 5.43 | 4.88 | 4.65 | 3.97 | 4.10 | 5.10 | 4.88 | 5.13 | 4.98 | 4.40 | 4.55 | 4.41 | 4.22 | 4.17 | 4.04 | 4.00 | 3.63 | 3.55 | 3.40 | 3.51 | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Benchmarks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| P/S Ratio, Competitors5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Accenture PLC | 3.04 | 3.57 | 4.72 | 4.28 | 3.86 | 3.72 | 3.75 | 3.26 | 3.11 | 2.26 | 3.01 | 2.72 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Adobe Inc. | 7.61 | 10.33 | 13.47 | 14.94 | 18.20 | 19.39 | 16.61 | 17.04 | 18.15 | 17.19 | 12.64 | 15.11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Cadence Design Systems Inc. | 12.80 | 13.99 | 13.21 | 12.55 | 15.59 | 13.88 | 14.33 | 13.85 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. | 37.35 | 54.14 | 46.77 | 48.70 | 46.83 | 43.35 | 37.61 | 22.79 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Fair Isaac Corp. | 8.72 | 7.20 | 8.38 | 8.08 | 10.75 | 10.72 | 10.97 | 10.38 | 10.37 | 8.44 | 9.99 | 8.28 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| International Business Machines Corp. | 1.99 | 1.95 | 2.10 | 1.94 | 1.82 | 1.96 | 1.83 | 1.47 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Intuit Inc. | 7.87 | 12.04 | 17.26 | 16.09 | 13.50 | 14.16 | 12.12 | 11.78 | 11.03 | 10.47 | 10.18 | 11.05 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Microsoft Corp. | 10.50 | 11.70 | 13.21 | 12.81 | 12.33 | 11.43 | 10.96 | 10.85 | 9.70 | 9.52 | 8.07 | 8.38 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Oracle Corp. | 4.96 | 6.62 | 5.96 | 5.38 | 4.90 | 4.53 | 4.67 | 4.33 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Palantir Technologies Inc. | 7.98 | 11.62 | 9.27 | 15.58 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Palo Alto Networks Inc. | 9.22 | 9.68 | 11.48 | 10.72 | 8.85 | 9.71 | 7.64 | 6.66 | 7.03 | 6.29 | 7.16 | 7.06 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Salesforce Inc. | 10.30 | 11.09 | 9.72 | 9.24 | 10.19 | 12.73 | 8.72 | 8.88 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| ServiceNow Inc. | 12.13 | 13.36 | 16.11 | 19.02 | 24.74 | 22.46 | 20.63 | 25.66 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Synopsys Inc. | 11.21 | 9.86 | 9.78 | 13.22 | 11.85 | 9.27 | 10.69 | 10.08 | 9.21 | 7.59 | 6.65 | 6.27 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Workday Inc. | 15.28 | 13.10 | 13.09 | 13.95 | 12.07 | 14.47 | 11.23 | 10.65 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2019-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2019-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2019-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2018-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2018-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2018-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2018-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2017-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2017-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2017-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2017-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2016-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2016-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2016-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2016-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2015-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2015-09-30).
1 Data adjusted for splits and stock dividends.
2 Q3 2022 Calculation
Sales per share
= (RevenuesQ3 2022
+ RevenuesQ2 2022
+ RevenuesQ1 2022
+ RevenuesQ4 2021)
÷ No. shares of common stock outstanding
= (4,513,000,000 + 4,025,400,000 + 3,832,300,000 + 3,737,000,000)
÷ 417,747,152 = 38.56
3 Closing price as at the filing date of Automatic Data Processing Inc. Quarterly or Annual Report.
4 Q3 2022 Calculation
P/S ratio = Share price ÷ Sales per share
= 218.18 ÷ 38.56 = 5.66
5 Click competitor name to see calculations.
- Share Price Trends
- The share price demonstrates an overall upward trend from September 2015 to March 2022. Starting at $86.98 in September 2015, the price shows steady growth with some fluctuations, reaching a peak near the end of 2021 at $224.49. Notable dips occur around March and June 2020, coinciding with the global economic disruptions during that period, where the price dropped to approximately $134.77 and $157.96, respectively. Post these declines, the share price recovered strongly, surpassing previous highs by early 2022.
- Sales Per Share
- Sales per share data begins at $25.58 in March 2016 and exhibits a continuous increase over the analyzed periods, reaching $38.56 by March 2022. The growth in sales per share is gradual and consistent, with no significant declines or anomalies, reflecting stable performance and possibly organic growth in revenue or efficiency gains contributing to sales increases on a per-share basis.
- Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S)
- The price-to-sales ratio remains relatively stable initially, fluctuating around the 3.4 to 4.0 range from early 2016 to late 2017. From 2018 onward, the ratio generally trends upward, reaching a peak of 6.16 in December 2021, indicating increased investor valuation relative to the sales generated per share. This rise suggests growing market optimism or expectations of future growth, despite some fluctuations. Following the peak, the ratio slightly declines but remains elevated at 5.66 by March 2022.
- Interrelation of Metrics
- The upward trend in share price combined with steadily increasing sales per share results in a generally rising price-to-sales ratio, especially in the latter years. The drop in share price during early 2020 contrasts with steadily increasing sales per share, leading to a temporary decrease in the P/S ratio, highlighting market uncertainties not reflected in underlying sales performance. Recovery in share price subsequently boosts the P/S ratio, reflecting restored investor confidence.
- Summary of Insights
- Overall, the data indicates healthy sales growth per share and a positive market valuation trend over the examined period, with some short-term volatility. The accelerating increase in price-to-sales ratio towards 2021 suggests elevated market valuation multiples, possibly due to favorable outlooks or sector dynamics. The divergence during 2020 suggests external factors influenced market valuation beyond the company’s sales growth trajectory.
Price to Book Value (P/BV)
Automatic Data Processing Inc., historical P/BV calculation (quarterly data)
| Mar 31, 2022 | Dec 31, 2021 | Sep 30, 2021 | Jun 30, 2021 | Mar 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | Sep 30, 2020 | Jun 30, 2020 | Mar 31, 2020 | Dec 31, 2019 | Sep 30, 2019 | Jun 30, 2019 | Mar 31, 2019 | Dec 31, 2018 | Sep 30, 2018 | Jun 30, 2018 | Mar 31, 2018 | Dec 31, 2017 | Sep 30, 2017 | Jun 30, 2017 | Mar 31, 2017 | Dec 31, 2016 | Sep 30, 2016 | Jun 30, 2016 | Mar 31, 2016 | Dec 31, 2015 | Sep 30, 2015 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. shares of common stock outstanding1 | 417,747,152 | 420,045,265 | 421,384,042 | 423,080,556 | 425,518,320 | 427,940,220 | 428,813,999 | 429,965,405 | 429,774,376 | 431,754,252 | 432,698,089 | 433,942,837 | 435,228,237 | 435,629,656 | 437,732,499 | 438,082,756 | 440,522,324 | 443,269,657 | 443,489,730 | 444,374,752 | 447,410,344 | 448,902,582 | 451,173,217 | 456,176,951 | 455,534,803 | 457,451,131 | 461,206,624 | ||||||||
| Selected Financial Data (US$) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stockholders’ equity (in thousands) | 4,192,900) | 5,049,600) | 5,350,700) | 5,670,100) | 5,673,900) | 5,900,000) | 5,808,900) | 5,752,200) | 5,490,700) | 5,364,400) | 5,360,700) | 5,399,900) | 5,246,200) | 4,763,900) | 4,678,800) | 3,459,600) | 4,029,200) | 3,931,200) | 3,953,400) | 3,977,000) | 4,103,100) | 3,815,100) | 4,250,100) | 4,481,600) | 4,503,200) | 4,206,200) | 4,630,200) | ||||||||
| Book value per share (BVPS)2 | 10.04 | 12.02 | 12.70 | 13.40 | 13.33 | 13.79 | 13.55 | 13.38 | 12.78 | 12.42 | 12.39 | 12.44 | 12.05 | 10.94 | 10.69 | 7.90 | 9.15 | 8.87 | 8.91 | 8.95 | 9.17 | 8.50 | 9.42 | 9.82 | 9.89 | 9.19 | 10.04 | ||||||||
| Share price1, 3 | 218.18 | 206.17 | 224.49 | 212.00 | 186.99 | 166.35 | 157.96 | 134.77 | 140.42 | 171.39 | 161.88 | 167.73 | 160.19 | 139.84 | 140.91 | 134.25 | 125.36 | 120.42 | 114.34 | 111.39 | 99.10 | 95.25 | 89.33 | 89.67 | 86.45 | 82.15 | 86.98 | ||||||||
| Valuation Ratio | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| P/BV ratio4 | 21.74 | 17.15 | 17.68 | 15.82 | 14.02 | 12.07 | 11.66 | 10.07 | 10.99 | 13.79 | 13.07 | 13.48 | 13.29 | 12.79 | 13.18 | 17.00 | 13.71 | 13.58 | 12.83 | 12.45 | 10.81 | 11.21 | 9.48 | 9.13 | 8.75 | 8.93 | 8.66 | ||||||||
| Benchmarks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| P/BV Ratio, Competitors5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Accenture PLC | 8.46 | 9.85 | 12.45 | 11.06 | 9.57 | 9.27 | 9.38 | 8.51 | 8.64 | 6.53 | 8.73 | 8.15 | 8.50 | 8.38 | 7.22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Adobe Inc. | 9.10 | 12.33 | 15.78 | 15.94 | 19.07 | 20.14 | 16.77 | 16.53 | 19.27 | 19.03 | 14.08 | 16.03 | 13.41 | 14.11 | 12.97 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Cadence Design Systems Inc. | 16.23 | 17.49 | 15.10 | 13.68 | 17.63 | 15.94 | 15.79 | 14.90 | 13.22 | 12.81 | 10.07 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. | 50.64 | 68.13 | 55.02 | 48.91 | 43.84 | 35.86 | 28.17 | 14.78 | 14.59 | 23.58 | 235.40 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Fair Isaac Corp. | — | — | — | — | 116.79 | 63.97 | 44.30 | 40.58 | 51.41 | 48.35 | 49.58 | 33.14 | 37.42 | 32.77 | 27.77 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| International Business Machines Corp. | 5.99 | 5.98 | 6.43 | 5.90 | 4.99 | 5.83 | 5.93 | 5.24 | 4.65 | 5.39 | 5.61 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Intuit Inc. | 5.97 | 8.81 | 18.30 | 15.71 | 12.05 | 12.32 | 18.11 | 17.71 | 15.95 | 20.02 | 19.43 | 20.00 | 15.37 | 23.25 | 18.21 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Microsoft Corp. | 12.40 | 13.52 | 15.32 | 15.16 | 14.67 | 13.45 | 13.07 | 13.11 | 11.75 | 11.61 | 9.87 | 10.30 | 10.10 | 8.86 | 9.14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Oracle Corp. | — | — | — | 41.57 | 21.84 | 22.54 | 19.31 | 14.01 | 10.62 | 11.23 | 9.59 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Palantir Technologies Inc. | 6.12 | 8.63 | 6.46 | 10.48 | 21.63 | 23.50 | 19.63 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Palo Alto Networks Inc. | 141.27 | 399.29 | 100.84 | 71.88 | 35.40 | 35.42 | 36.65 | 20.61 | 30.82 | 12.21 | 14.24 | 12.91 | 13.49 | 22.29 | 13.10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Salesforce Inc. | 4.51 | 4.70 | 5.10 | 4.73 | 5.13 | 6.42 | 4.60 | 4.48 | 4.17 | 7.74 | 7.48 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| ServiceNow Inc. | 18.56 | 21.02 | 25.22 | 30.36 | 38.72 | 35.47 | 32.82 | 40.91 | 37.26 | 33.38 | 29.58 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Synopsys Inc. | 9.90 | 8.43 | 8.17 | 10.50 | 9.38 | 7.26 | 8.37 | 7.57 | 7.04 | 6.04 | 5.41 | 5.16 | 5.22 | 4.47 | 4.08 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Workday Inc. | 17.74 | 15.82 | 17.19 | 18.38 | 16.33 | 20.36 | 16.49 | 15.54 | 16.40 | 18.29 | 22.98 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2019-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2019-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2019-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2018-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2018-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2018-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2018-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2017-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2017-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2017-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2017-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2016-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2016-09-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2016-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2016-03-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2015-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2015-09-30).
1 Data adjusted for splits and stock dividends.
2 Q3 2022 Calculation
BVPS = Stockholders’ equity ÷ No. shares of common stock outstanding
= 4,192,900,000 ÷ 417,747,152 = 10.04
3 Closing price as at the filing date of Automatic Data Processing Inc. Quarterly or Annual Report.
4 Q3 2022 Calculation
P/BV ratio = Share price ÷ BVPS
= 218.18 ÷ 10.04 = 21.74
5 Click competitor name to see calculations.
The share price experienced a general upward trajectory over the observed period, rising from $86.98 in September 2015 to $218.18 by March 2022. This growth was punctuated by some fluctuations, notably a decline in early 2020 coinciding with broader market uncertainties, where the price dropped from $171.39 in December 2019 to $134.77 in June 2020 before resuming an upward trend.
Book value per share (BVPS) showed more variability and a less pronounced upward trend compared to the share price. Starting at $10.04 in September 2015, BVPS experienced declines and recoveries, with a notable dip around mid-2018 down to $7.90 in June 2018. Subsequently, BVPS increased until early 2020, reaching a peak of $13.79 in December 2020, before declining again to $10.04 by March 2022.
The price-to-book value ratio (P/BV) generally trended upwards, evidencing growing market valuation relative to book value over time. Beginning at 8.66 in September 2015, the ratio rose with some volatility, reaching a peak of 21.74 by March 2022. This suggests increasing investor willingness to pay a premium above the book value, possibly reflecting expectations of future growth or profitability enhancements.
- Share Price
- Exhibited strong growth overall with intermittent short-term corrections, particularly during early 2020.
- Book Value per Share (BVPS)
- Displayed moderate variation with periods of decline and recovery, lacking the consistent upward momentum seen in share price.
- Price to Book Value Ratio (P/BV)
- Revealed a substantial increasing trend, indicating an expanding valuation gap between market price and book value per share.
- Notable Trends and Insights
- The increasing P/BV ratio in the face of fluctuating and sometimes declining BVPS highlights a strong market confidence in the company's future prospects beyond its current book value. The pronounced share price increases towards the end of the period, particularly from late 2020 through early 2022, imply positive market sentiment despite the drop in BVPS during that same timeframe.