Analyst Consensus ?
ConsensusHold34 ratings
Bullish1647.1%
Neutral1750.0%
Bearish12.9%
1 unmapped firm rating excluded from the percentages.
Paycom Software, Inc. · PAYC · FY2026 Q2 · Calendar Q3 2026
Paycom raises 2026 outlook as AI and new products support growth
Q2 evidence supports the view that resilient demand and product-led expansion can sustain Paycom’s growth: revenue rose 10%, guidance was raised, and management linked new products and AI capabilities to automation and client ROI. The thesis still depends on adoption, sales-force execution, and stable macro conditions.
Reported After market closeNYSETechnology
$10.20B market cap
100quality score
Earnings scorecard
Reported versus consensus
Reported EPS
$2.78
Consensus $2.38
EPS surprise
+16.8%
Reported versus consensus
Reported revenue
$531.2M
Consensus $513.1M
Revenue surprise
+3.5%
Reported versus consensus
Market reaction
event-close to next-session close
Stock move
+23.6%
Event window
SPY move
-0.2%
Same window
Abnormal move
+23.7%
Stock minus SPY
Volume
5.0×
Versus trailing sessions
Subsequent drift
+11.4%
Up to 20 sessions
PAYCSPY benchmark
Ask FN2 about PAYC FY2026 Q2
Transcript, numbers and history already loaded
Why did PAYC rise 23.6% after beating EPS estimates in FY2026 Q2?What changed in PAYC's guidance and outlook in FY2026 Q2?Give me the bull and bear case for PAYC after FY2026 Q2 earnings.
Free account. Your question opens in FN2 with this report's transcript and numbers attached.
Transcript intelligence
What changed
Compared with the prior quarter, Paycom moved from reaffirming full-year guidance to raising it, while broadening the product story with Asset Management, Project Arc, and Career & Succession Planning. Management also highlighted internally hosted AI models and substantial share repurchases.
Guidance delta
Raised: full-year 2026 revenue guidance now targets 7–8% growth, with a 46% adjusted EBITDA margin target.
Key takeaways
- Q2 revenue grew 10% to $531 million, with adjusted EBITDA margin expanding to 44.2%.
- Management cited Project Arc, Asset Management, Career & Succession Planning, and IWant as product and automation drivers.
- Paycom returned about $1.4 billion through buybacks and maintained its dividend while expecting CapEx to normalize.
Management priorities
- Continue launching automation and AI-powered products, including internally hosted AI models.
- Expand and accelerate the sales-force ramp.
- Maintain disciplined capital allocation through buybacks and dividend payments.
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Try FN2 freeEarnings History
Estimate
Beat
Miss
Match
Analyst 52W Price Targets
$226.24Previous close
$120Low
$262.63Average
$550High
Latest persisted target per named analyst; persisted previous close from FN2's market snapshot as of Sep 22, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keybanc | Overweight | Overweight | Maintain | Sep 21, 2026 |
| UBS | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Sep 1, 2026 |
| JP Morgan | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Aug 25, 2026 |
| Citigroup | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Aug 7, 2026 |
| TD Cowen | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Aug 6, 2026 |
| Stifel | Hold | Hold | Maintain | Aug 6, 2026 |
| Guggenheim | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Aug 6, 2026 |
| Cantor Fitzgerald | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Aug 6, 2026 |
| BTIG | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Aug 6, 2026 |
| Barclays | Equal Weight | Equal Weight | Maintain | Aug 6, 2026 |
| Mizuho | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | May 7, 2026 |
| Jefferies | Hold | Hold | Maintain | Feb 12, 2026 |
| BMO Capital | Market Perform | Market Perform | Maintain | Feb 12, 2026 |
| Piper Sandler | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | May 8, 2025 |
| Needham | Hold | Hold | Maintain | May 8, 2025 |
| B of A Securities | Neutral | Buy | Downgrade | Nov 2, 2023 |
| William Blair | Market Perform | Outperform | Downgrade | Nov 1, 2023 |
| Oppenheimer | Perform | Outperform | Downgrade | Nov 1, 2023 |
| Deutsche Bank | Hold | Buy | Downgrade | Nov 1, 2023 |
| Credit Suisse | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Aug 2, 2023 |
| Baird | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Aug 2, 2023 |
| DA Davidson | Buy | Neutral | Upgrade | Mar 30, 2023 |
| MoffettNathanson | Underperform | Underperform | Maintain | Jan 9, 2023 |
| Wolfe Research | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Nov 2, 2022 |
| RBC Capital | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Cowen & Co. | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | Hold | Hold | Maintain | Oct 30, 2019 |
| Citi | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Oct 25, 2019 |
| Canaccord Genuity | Hold | Hold | Maintain | May 2, 2019 |
| Bank of America | Neutral | Buy | Downgrade | Sep 26, 2018 |
| Dougherty | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Oct 31, 2017 |
| Wells Fargo | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | May 12, 2017 |
| Wunderlich | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Feb 23, 2017 |
| Pacific Crest | Overweight | Downgrade | Jan 30, 2017 | |
| Brean Capital | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Mar 17, 2015 |
Named analyst price targets
Upside is calculated against the persisted previous close $226.24. FMP does not supply a rating on these named-analyst rows.
| Firm | Analyst | 52W target | Price when posted | Upside | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KeyBanc | Analyst unavailable | $280 | $226.28 | +23.8% | Sep 21, 2026 |
| Robert W. Baird | Analyst unavailable | $245 | $216.41 | +8.3% | Aug 6, 2026 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | Brad Reback | $200 | $215.34 | -11.6% | Aug 6, 2026 |
| Cantor Fitzgerald | Analyst unavailable | $195 | $214.53 | -13.8% | Aug 6, 2026 |
| BMO Capital | Analyst unavailable | $208 | $174.8 | -8.1% | Aug 6, 2026 |
| UBS | Analyst unavailable | $270 | $174.8 | +19.3% | Aug 6, 2026 |
| Guggenheim | Jason Smith | $225 | $174.8 | -0.5% | Aug 6, 2026 |
| BTIG | Allan Verkhovski | $230 | $174.8 | +1.7% | Aug 6, 2026 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $210 | $174.8 | -7.2% | Aug 6, 2026 |
| Jefferies | Analyst unavailable | $160 | $174.8 | -29.3% | Aug 6, 2026 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $154 | $149.71 | -31.9% | Jul 21, 2026 |
| Deutsche Bank | Analyst unavailable | $140 | $132.94 | -38.1% | May 7, 2026 |
| BTIG | Analyst unavailable | $160 | $133.01 | -29.3% | May 7, 2026 |
| Mizuho Securities | Siti Panigrahi | $130 | $126.32 | -42.5% | May 7, 2026 |
| Barclays | Raimo Lenschow | $148 | $126.32 | -34.6% | May 7, 2026 |
| UBS | Analyst unavailable | $183 | $134.94 | -19.1% | Apr 21, 2026 |
| Cantor Fitzgerald | Analyst unavailable | $115 | $114.54 | -49.2% | Feb 12, 2026 |
| BMO Capital | Analyst unavailable | $137 | $118.6 | -39.4% | Feb 12, 2026 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | Analyst unavailable | $120 | $115.38 | -47.0% | Feb 12, 2026 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $140 | $115.72 | -38.1% | Feb 12, 2026 |
| Robert W. Baird | Mark Marcon | $183 | $115.68 | -19.1% | Feb 12, 2026 |
| BTIG | Allan Verkhovski | $140 | $118.77 | -38.1% | Feb 12, 2026 |
| KeyBanc | Analyst unavailable | $195 | $118.77 | -13.8% | Feb 12, 2026 |
| Mizuho Securities | Siti Panigrahi | $120 | $118.77 | -47.0% | Feb 12, 2026 |
| Guggenheim | Jacob Smith | $180 | $118.77 | -20.4% | Feb 12, 2026 |
| Jefferies | Analyst unavailable | $130 | $118.77 | -42.5% | Feb 12, 2026 |
| Guggenheim | Analyst unavailable | $210 | $133.95 | -7.2% | Jan 30, 2026 |
| Cantor Fitzgerald | Matthew VanVliet | $135 | $139.65 | -40.3% | Jan 29, 2026 |
| UBS | Kevin McVeigh | $210 | $146.73 | -7.2% | Jan 26, 2026 |
| BMO Capital | Daniel Jester | $175 | $149.49 | -22.6% | Jan 16, 2026 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $185 | $157.17 | -18.2% | Jan 12, 2026 |
| BTIG | Analyst unavailable | $195 | $162.77 | -13.8% | Dec 16, 2025 |
| UBS | Analyst unavailable | $165 | $161.91 | -27.1% | Nov 6, 2025 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $225 | $201.09 | -0.5% | Oct 21, 2025 |
| Jefferies | Analyst unavailable | $225 | $199.82 | -0.5% | Oct 13, 2025 |
| Guggenheim | Analyst unavailable | $270 | $214.85 | +19.3% | Sep 25, 2025 |
| UBS | Analyst unavailable | $285 | $213.32 | +26.0% | Sep 16, 2025 |
| KeyBanc | Jason Celino | $290 | $244.82 | +28.2% | Aug 7, 2025 |
| KeyBanc | Analyst unavailable | $245 | $213.02 | +8.3% | Mar 10, 2025 |
| Barclays | Raimo Lenschow | $221 | $207.57 | -2.3% | Jan 23, 2025 |
| BMO Capital | Daniel Jester | $197 | $209.03 | -12.9% | Oct 31, 2024 |
| Piper Sandler | Arvind Ramnani | $191 | $172.25 | -15.6% | Oct 31, 2024 |
| Jefferies | Samad Samana | $175 | $172.25 | -22.6% | Oct 31, 2024 |
| Barclays | Raimo Lenschow | $167 | $166.79 | -26.2% | Aug 1, 2024 |
| Barclays | Raimo Lenschow | $184 | $144.76 | -18.7% | May 31, 2024 |
| Mizuho Securities | Siti Panigrahi | $170 | $171.29 | -24.9% | May 6, 2024 |
| Barclays | Raimo Lenschow | $200 | $150.69 | -11.6% | Nov 1, 2023 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $336 | $314.91 | +48.5% | Feb 8, 2023 |
| Oppenheimer | Analyst unavailable | $400 | $344.52 | +76.8% | Feb 8, 2023 |
| Piper Sandler | Analyst unavailable | $417 | $344.52 | +84.3% | Feb 8, 2023 |
| MoffettNathanson | Analyst unavailable | $310 | $290.69 | +37.0% | Jan 9, 2023 |
| Citigroup | Steve Enders | $400 | $342.71 | +76.8% | Nov 2, 2022 |
| Wolfe Research | Analyst unavailable | $400 | $352.33 | +76.8% | Aug 4, 2022 |
| BMO Capital | Daniel Jester | $368 | $353.19 | +62.7% | Aug 3, 2022 |
| Credit Suisse | Analyst unavailable | $375 | $348.16 | +65.8% | Aug 3, 2022 |
| Oppenheimer | Analyst unavailable | $375 | $337.86 | +65.8% | Aug 3, 2022 |
| Piper Sandler | Analyst unavailable | $387 | $337.86 | +71.1% | Aug 3, 2022 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $308 | $309.9 | +36.1% | Jul 18, 2022 |
| Piper Sandler | Analyst unavailable | $361 | $301.83 | +59.6% | Jul 18, 2022 |
| KeyBanc | Josh Beck | $340 | $280.54 | +50.3% | Jun 23, 2022 |
| Jefferies | Analyst unavailable | $335 | $269.82 | +48.1% | May 23, 2022 |
| Needham | Ryan MacDonald | $450 | $328.2 | +98.9% | May 4, 2022 |
| Oppenheimer | Analyst unavailable | $350 | $288.46 | +54.7% | May 4, 2022 |
| Robert W. Baird | Mark Marcon | $440 | $335.01 | +94.5% | Feb 8, 2022 |
| Deutsche Bank | Bhavin Shah | $450 | $335.01 | +98.9% | Feb 8, 2022 |
| Mizuho Securities | Siti Panigrahi | $350 | $335.01 | +54.7% | Feb 8, 2022 |
| KeyBanc | Josh Beck | $400 | $304.67 | +76.8% | Jan 25, 2022 |
| Barclays | Raimo Lenschow | $380 | $328.27 | +68.0% | Jan 20, 2022 |
| Cowen & Co. | Bryan Bergin | $550 | $521.17 | +143.1% | Oct 18, 2021 |
| RBC Capital | Matthew Hedberg | $430 | $341.09 | +90.1% | May 5, 2021 |
Track every rating change on PAYC the moment it posts. Free to start.
Start freeCompany context
Snapshot as of publicationPaycom Software, Inc., established in 1998 and headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, provides a comprehensive, cloud-based human capital management (HCM) platform. This software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution is specifically tailored for small to mid-sized businesses across the United States. It equips organizations with the essential functionality and analytical insights needed to oversee the complete employee journey, from the initial hiring process through to retirement. The robust HCM suite encompasses a wide array of applications across several critical HR domains. For talent acquisition and onboarding, it offers tools such as applicant tracking, candidate management, background checks, seamless onboarding processes, E-Verify compliance, and tax credit services.…
Historical context
All PAYC 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
- 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
- CASYFY2027 Q1 · September 8, 2026+8.7% EPS-14.2% move
Get the PAYC recap when the next report posts
One email per quarter with the scorecard, the market reaction and what changed on the call. No account needed.
Sources
- Earnings call transcript and parsed analysis · 2026-08-07T21:15:40.098065+00:00
- FN2 earnings calendar · 2026-09-10T01:23:13.706414+00:00
- Polygon adjusted daily market bars · 2026-09-22T07:30:52.831715+00:00
- Financial Modeling Prep analyst price-target consensus and quote snapshot · 2026-09-22T07:30:52.828457+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 . For educational purposes only; not investment advice.