Paychex (PAYX) Stock Forecast & Price Target

$149.07 +2.32 (+1.58%)

As of 04:00 PM Eastern

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

Reduce

Based on 12 Analyst Ratings

Sell
2

Hold
10

Buy
0

Based on 12 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 12 analysts, 2 have given a sell rating, and 10 have given a hold rating for PAYX.

Consensus Price Target

$141.00
-5.41% Downside

According to the 12 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Paychex, the average price target is $141.00. The highest price target for PAYX is $158.00, while the lowest price target for PAYX is $113.00. The average price target represents a forecasted downside of -5.41% from the current price of $149.07.

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PAYX Analyst Ratings Over Time

Type	Current Forecast 4/14/24 to 4/14/25	1 Month Ago 3/15/24 to 3/15/25	3 Months Ago 1/15/24 to 1/14/25	1 Year Ago 4/15/23 to 4/14/24
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	10 Hold rating(s)	11 Hold rating(s)	11 Hold rating(s)	9 Hold rating(s)
Sell	2 Sell rating(s)	2 Sell rating(s)	2 Sell rating(s)	2 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target	$141.00	$133.23	$132.23	$123.00
Forecasted Upside	-5.41% Downside	-8.39% Downside	-6.69% Downside	N/A
Consensus Rating	Reduce	Reduce	Reduce	Reduce

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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.

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.

Paychex Stock vs. The Competition

Type	Paychex	Business Services Companies	S&P 500
Consensus Rating Score	1.83	2.72	2.54
Consensus Rating	Reduce	Moderate Buy	Moderate Buy
Predicted Upside	-5.64% Downside	1,203.18% Upside	25.69% Upside
News Sentiment Rating	Positive News See Recent PAYX News	Positive News	Positive News

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Recent Analyst Forecasts and Stock Ratings

Rating

Upside/Downside

Action

Time Frame

Start Date

End Date

Show

Export to Excel

Date	Brokerage	Analyst Name	Action	Rating	Price Target	Upside/Downside on Report Date
3/31/2025	Barclays 3 of 5 stars	Ramsey El-Assal Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Boost Target	Equal Weight ➝ Equal Weight	$140.00 ➝ $155.00	+1.93%
3/27/2025	Cfra Research 0 of 5 stars	S. Gheewala Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Upgrade	Hold
3/27/2025	Morgan Stanley 3 of 5 stars	James Faucette Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Boost Target	Equal Weight ➝ Equal Weight	$137.00 ➝ $142.00	-5.57%
3/27/2025	Citigroup Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Peter Christiansen Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Boost Target	Neutral ➝ Neutral	$145.00 ➝ $158.00	+4.70%
3/27/2025	Stifel Nicolaus Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Bryan Bergin Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Boost Target	Hold ➝ Hold	$141.00 ➝ $156.00	+3.87%
3/4/2025	UBS Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Kevin Mcveigh Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating	Boost Target	Neutral ➝ Neutral	$152.00 ➝ $155.00	+0.17%
12/20/2024	Royal Bank of Canada Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Reiterated Rating	Sector Perform ➝ Sector Perform	$148.00 ➝ $148.00	+7.68%
11/19/2024	JPMorgan Chase & Co. Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Underweight ➝ Underweight	$133.00 ➝ $139.00	-1.50%
10/2/2024	TD Cowen Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Hold ➝ Hold	$126.00 ➝ $131.00	-7.37%
10/2/2024	Jefferies Financial Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Hold ➝ Hold	$120.00 ➝ $130.00	-8.00%
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6/27/2024	Bank of America Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target	Underperform ➝ Underperform	$111.00 ➝ $113.00	-3.74%
6/27/2024	Robert W. Baird Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Lower Target	Neutral ➝ Neutral	$126.00 ➝ $124.00	+5.63%
4/3/2024	Wedbush Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Reiterated Rating	Neutral ➝ Neutral	$115.00	-5.80%
3/26/2024	Evercore ISI Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Reiterated Rating	In-Line ➝ In-Line	$118.00	-1.14%
10/3/2023	Argus Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Boost Target		$125.00 ➝ $130.00	+14.26%
6/30/2023	VNET Group Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Reiterated Rating	Maintains
6/2/2023	3M Subscribe to MarketBeat All Access for the recommendation accuracy rating		Reiterated Rating	Initiates

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Tuesday at 12:39 AM 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, April 13, 2025. Please send any questions or comments about these Paychex pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Paychex
Bull Case

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

Paychex, Inc. recently reported earnings per share (EPS) of $1.49, surpassing analysts' expectations of $1.48, indicating strong financial performance and effective management.
The stock price is currently at $146.89, reflecting a solid market position and investor confidence, which can be attractive for potential investors.
Paychex, Inc. has a high return on equity of 45.28%, suggesting that the company is efficient in generating profits from its equity, which is a positive indicator for investors.
The company has shown a year-over-year revenue growth of 4.8%, demonstrating its ability to expand and adapt in a competitive market.
Recent upgrades from multiple analysts, including a price target increase from Citigroup to $158.00, suggest positive market sentiment and potential for further stock appreciation.

Paychex
Bear Case

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

Despite recent positive earnings, two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, indicating some skepticism about its future performance.
The stock has a relatively high price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 30.87, which may suggest that it is overvalued compared to its earnings, potentially deterring value-focused investors.
Paychex, Inc. has a beta of 0.88, indicating lower volatility compared to the market, which may not appeal to investors seeking high-risk, high-reward opportunities.
Institutional investors own 83.47% of the company's stock, which could lead to less liquidity and more significant price swings if large shareholders decide to sell.
The company's current ratio of 1.39, while above 1, indicates that it has just enough assets to cover its liabilities, which may raise concerns about its short-term financial health.

PAYX Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

: According to the research reports of 12 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Paychex is $141.00, with a high forecast of $158.00 and a low forecast of $113.00.
: 12 Wall Street analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Paychex in the last twelve months. There are currently 2 sell ratings and 10 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 downside of -5.41% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.
: Over the previous 90 days, Paychex's stock had 1 upgrade by analysts.
: Paychex has been rated by research analysts at Barclays, Cfra Research, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Stifel Nicolaus, and UBS Group in the past 90 days.
: Analysts like Paychex less than other "business services" companies. The consensus rating for Paychex is Reduce while the average consensus rating for "business services" companies is Moderate Buy. Learn more on how PAYX compares to other companies.

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This page (NASDAQ:PAYX) was last updated on 4/14/2025 by MarketBeat.com Staff

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Paychex (PAYX) Stock Forecast & Price Target