Automatic Data Processing, Inc. · ADP · FY2026 Q4 · Calendar Q3 2026
ADP ends FY2026 strongly as AI products support growth and retention
ADP's FY2026 results and management commentary support the view that resilient demand and expanding AI-enabled products can underpin continued growth, but the thesis depends on Lyric traction, AI monetization, and execution against the FY2027 outlook.
Earnings scorecard
Reported versus consensusMarket reaction
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Transcript intelligence
What changed
The current quarter shifted the focus from product rollout to broader adoption and operating impact: management cited a 94% increase in Lyric live clients, wider The Zone usage, and continued AI-driven efficiency while maintaining the FY2027 outlook.
Guidance delta
Management maintained its FY2027 outlook for 5–6% revenue growth and 9–11% EPS growth.
Key takeaways
- ADP said fiscal 2026 finished ahead of its guidance on revenue, margin, and EPS growth.
- Management highlighted ADP Assist, Lyric, and The Zone as increasingly embedded in core offerings.
- Lyric live clients increased 94%, while The Zone reached 48% of service associates and reduced contacts per client by 4%.
- The FY2027 outlook calls for continued revenue and EPS growth, with ongoing AI integration and global expansion.
Management priorities
- Roll out ADP Assist across the ADP Marketplace.
- Expand The Zone adoption across service and sales teams.
- Scale Lyric and Workforce Suite in enterprise and international markets.
- Continue AI-driven efficiency initiatives and consider strategic acquisitions that fit the portfolio.
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Analyst 52W Price Targets
Latest persisted target per named analyst; persisted current price from FN2's market snapshot as of Sep 23, 2026. Not an FN2 forecast.
Firm-level rating actions
FMP grade actions identify the grading firm, not a named analyst.
| Firm | Rating | Prior rating | Action | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cantor Fitzgerald | Overweight | Overweight | Maintain | Aug 5, 2026 |
| Wells Fargo | Equal Weight | Equal Weight | Maintain | Jul 30, 2026 |
| Stifel | Hold | Hold | Maintain | Jul 30, 2026 |
| Morgan Stanley | Equal Weight | Equal Weight | Maintain | Jul 30, 2026 |
| Guggenheim | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Jul 30, 2026 |
| Citigroup | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Jul 30, 2026 |
| UBS | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Jul 22, 2026 |
| TD Cowen | Hold | Hold | Maintain | Jul 6, 2026 |
| Argus Research | Buy | Buy | Maintain | May 5, 2026 |
| JP Morgan | Underweight | Underweight | Maintain | Jan 29, 2026 |
| Jefferies | Underperform | Hold | Downgrade | Dec 16, 2025 |
| Mizuho | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Jun 13, 2025 |
| RBC Capital | Sector Perform | Sector Perform | Maintain | Jun 5, 2025 |
| TD Securities | Hold | Hold | Maintain | May 21, 2025 |
| Barclays | Overweight | Overweight | Maintain | Feb 3, 2025 |
| B of A Securities | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Aug 1, 2024 |
| Evercore ISI Group | Underperform | Underperform | Maintain | Mar 26, 2024 |
| Wolfe Research | Peer Perform | Underperform | Upgrade | Jan 4, 2024 |
| Deutsche Bank | Hold | Hold | Maintain | Apr 27, 2023 |
| Baird | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Apr 27, 2023 |
| BMO Capital | Market Perform | Market Perform | Maintain | Oct 28, 2021 |
| Credit Suisse | Neutral | Outperform | Downgrade | Aug 16, 2021 |
| Cowen & Co. | Market Perform | Outperform | Downgrade | Sep 21, 2020 |
| Goldman Sachs | Sell | Sell | Maintain | Jul 14, 2020 |
| CFRA | Hold | Hold | Maintain | Apr 29, 2020 |
| MoffettNathanson | Neutral | Buy | Downgrade | Jan 7, 2020 |
| Bank of America | Neutral | Buy | Downgrade | Sep 11, 2019 |
| Argus | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Aug 13, 2018 |
| Wedbush | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Jun 13, 2018 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | Hold | Hold | Maintain | Jun 6, 2018 |
| Bernstein | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Oct 31, 2017 |
| William Blair | Market Perform | Outperform | Downgrade | Jul 21, 2017 |
| Compass Point | Sell | Sell | Maintain | Apr 15, 2016 |
| Sterne Agee CRT | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Dec 17, 2015 |
| Raymond James | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Aug 1, 2014 |
| Susquehanna | Neutral | Positive | Downgrade | Aug 2, 2013 |
Named analyst price targets
Upside is calculated against the persisted current price $263.68. FMP does not supply a rating on these named-analyst rows.
| Firm | Analyst | 52W target | Price when posted | Upside | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cantor Fitzgerald | Analyst unavailable | $310 | $272.41 | +17.6% | Aug 3, 2026 |
| Morgan Stanley | Analyst unavailable | $286 | $273.37 | +8.5% | Jul 30, 2026 |
| Guggenheim | Analyst unavailable | $300 | $273.37 | +13.8% | Jul 30, 2026 |
| Jefferies | Analyst unavailable | $225 | $276.08 | -14.7% | Jul 29, 2026 |
| Cantor Fitzgerald | Ramsey El-Assal | $294 | $243.24 | +11.5% | Jul 22, 2026 |
| Cantor Fitzgerald | Analyst unavailable | $295 | $246.22 | +11.9% | Jul 22, 2026 |
| UBS | Analyst unavailable | $270 | $246.22 | +2.4% | Jul 22, 2026 |
| Wells Fargo | Jason Kupferberg | $248 | $241.37 | -5.9% | Jul 9, 2026 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | Analyst unavailable | $260 | $245.6 | -1.4% | Jul 8, 2026 |
| Morgan Stanley | Analyst unavailable | $240 | $213 | -9.0% | May 10, 2026 |
| Argus Research | Analyst unavailable | $240 | $209.14 | -9.0% | May 5, 2026 |
| Robert W. Baird | Analyst unavailable | $270 | $215.06 | +2.4% | Apr 30, 2026 |
| Jefferies | Analyst unavailable | $190 | $215.06 | -27.9% | Apr 29, 2026 |
| Cantor Fitzgerald | Analyst unavailable | $244 | $204.24 | -7.5% | Apr 21, 2026 |
| Wells Fargo | Analyst unavailable | $214 | $201.25 | -18.8% | Mar 27, 2026 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | David Grossman | $270 | $231.36 | +2.4% | Feb 9, 2026 |
| BMO Capital | Daniel Jester | $281 | $249.06 | +6.6% | Jan 29, 2026 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | David Grossman | $280 | $250.69 | +6.2% | Jan 29, 2026 |
| Morgan Stanley | James Faucette | $274 | $250.69 | +3.9% | Jan 29, 2026 |
| Wells Fargo | Analyst unavailable | $262 | $250.69 | -0.6% | Jan 29, 2026 |
| Cantor Fitzgerald | Analyst unavailable | $306 | $258.17 | +16.0% | Jan 26, 2026 |
| BMO Capital | Daniel Jester | $288 | $260.14 | +9.2% | Jan 16, 2026 |
| Jefferies | Samad Samana | $230 | $264.96 | -12.8% | Dec 16, 2025 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | David Grossman | $290 | $261.16 | +10.0% | Oct 30, 2025 |
| Jefferies | Analyst unavailable | $245 | $261.22 | -7.1% | Oct 29, 2025 |
| Wells Fargo | Analyst unavailable | $288 | $283.98 | +9.2% | Oct 21, 2025 |
| UBS | Analyst unavailable | $290 | $288.69 | +10.0% | Sep 16, 2025 |
| Jefferies | Analyst unavailable | $315 | $310.94 | +19.5% | Jul 30, 2025 |
| UBS | Kevin McVeigh | $315 | $306.82 | +19.5% | Jun 13, 2025 |
| Jefferies | Samad Samana | $305 | $300.57 | +15.7% | Jan 29, 2025 |
| RBC Capital | Ashish Sabadra | $315 | $290.24 | +19.5% | Oct 31, 2024 |
| Bank of America Securities | Jason Kupferberg | $281 | $285.16 | +6.6% | Oct 4, 2024 |
| Bank of America Securities | Jason Kupferberg | $267 | $262.62 | +1.3% | Aug 1, 2024 |
| RBC Capital | Ashish Sabadra | $267 | $252.98 | +1.3% | Sep 5, 2023 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $257 | $218.18 | -2.5% | May 2, 2022 |
| Citigroup | Analyst unavailable | $230 | $218.18 | -12.8% | May 2, 2022 |
| Mizuho Securities | Dan Dolev | $250 | $218.18 | -5.2% | May 2, 2022 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | David Grossman | $238 | $212.46 | -9.7% | Mar 16, 2022 |
| BMO Capital | Jeffrey Silber | $220 | $233.04 | -16.6% | Nov 16, 2021 |
| J.P. Morgan | Tien Tsin Huang | $224 | $211.82 | -15.0% | Aug 17, 2021 |
| Credit Suisse | Kevin Mcveigh | $215 | $213.56 | -18.5% | Aug 16, 2021 |
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Start freeCompany context
Snapshot as of publicationAutomatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP) is a global provider of cloud-based solutions designed for human capital management (HCM). The company organizes its operations into two primary segments: Employer Services and Professional Employer Organization (PEO). Through its Employer Services division, ADP delivers strategic, cloud-powered platforms and comprehensive human resources (HR) outsourcing.…
Historical context
All ADP earningsTechnology peers this season
Latest reports in the same sector| Company | Quarter | EPS surprise | Market move | Headline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADBE Adobe Inc. | FY2026 Q3 · Calendar Q3 2026 | +0.8% | +1.4% | Adobe raises FY26 outlook as AI strategy broadens |
| ORCL Oracle Corporation | FY2027 Q1 · Calendar Q3 2026 | +10.3% | -1.7% | Oracle raises FY27 outlook as AI demand accelerates cloud growth |
| SAIL SailPoint, Inc. | FY2027 Q2 · Calendar Q3 2026 | +13.8% | -1.2% | SailPoint pairs 25% ARR growth with accelerating AI-driven adoption |
| CIEN Ciena Corporation | FY2026 Q3 · Calendar Q3 2026 | +22.0% | -10.4% | Ciena raises outlook as AI networking demand lifts backlog |
| DOCU DocuSign, Inc. | FY2027 Q2 · Calendar Q3 2026 | +6.4% | +3.7% | DocuSign Q2 FY27: IAM momentum supports a raised outlook |
| IOT Samsara Inc. | FY2027 Q2 · Calendar Q3 2026 | +25.0% | +3.7% | Samsara: AI adoption expands as FY27 guidance holds |
Latest beats and misses
Who reports nextBeat on EPS
- AZOFY2026 Q4 · September 22, 2026+3.6% EPS+3.3% move
- FPSFY2026 Q4 · September 15, 2026+4.3% EPS+9.5% move
- TCOMFY2026 Q2 · September 15, 2026+22.3% EPS+3.0% move
- KRFY2026 Q2 · September 11, 2026+2.8% EPS+2.7% move
- ADBEFY2026 Q3 · September 10, 2026+0.8% EPS+1.4% move
- ORCLFY2027 Q1 · September 10, 2026+10.3% EPS-1.7% move
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Sources
- Earnings call transcript and parsed analysis · 2026-07-29T16:06:23.445399+00:00
- FN2 earnings calendar · 2026-09-03T01:23:14.877038+00:00
- Polygon adjusted daily market bars · 2026-09-23T21:40:54.247441+00:00
- Financial Modeling Prep analyst price-target consensus and quote snapshot · 2026-09-23T21:40:54.244710+00:00
Methodology
Reported and consensus figures come from FN2's earnings event records. Market reaction and volume are calculated from daily adjusted bars around the event; abnormal move subtracts the SPY move over the same window.
Analyst target low, average, and high values are derived at request time from each named analyst's latest persisted FMP target. The current-price marker comes from FN2's persisted market snapshot. They are sell-side estimates, not an FN2 valuation or recommendation.
Transcript intelligence is a structured synthesis of the current and prior earnings-call analyses. Missing values stay missing and are never estimated.
By FN2 Research · Updated · As of 2026-09-23. For educational purposes only; not investment advice.