PAYX Paychex, Inc.
$97.00
Stable Earnings Power 65%
P/Adj-EPS × Normalized Multiple
Mild · Conviction

Overvalued

Trading 12.7% above fair value

You pay $97.00
Bear $68.87
Fair $86.08
Bull $103.29
Bear $68.87 -29.0% $4.99 × 12x P/E
Fair $86.08 -11.3% $4.99 × 15x P/E
Bull $103.29 +6.5% $4.99 × 18x P/E

Key Value Driver

Normalized P/E multiple (15x base case)

Implied Market Multiple 19.4x

Summary

Our base-case estimate uses a valuation based on adjusted earnings per share and a normalized price-to-earnings multiple. We then blend that result with the average analyst price target of $112.14 from 30 analysts, using a 30% weight on analyst consensus. That produces an estimated intrinsic value of $86.08 per share.

Warnings

The company pays out 97% of its profits as dividends. That leaves little cushion — the dividend could be cut if business slows down.
Wall Street's average price target is $112.14 (from 30 analysts). Our estimate is 33% below the consensus -- consider that gap carefully.

Key Risks

  • Growth DCF inappropriate — terminal value assumptions dominate
  • EV/EBITDA misleading for regulated businesses where capex is mandated
  • Regulatory risk is a fat tail not visible in normal multiples