Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADP) Shares Acquired by Aviva PLC

Aviva PLC boosted its stake in Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADP) by 2.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 962,810 shares of the business services provider’s stock after buying an additional 26,141 shares during the period. Automatic Data Processing accounts for approximately 0.7% of Aviva PLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest holding. Aviva PLC owned 0.24% of Automatic Data Processing worth $281,843,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ADP. Littlejohn Financial Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Automatic Data Processing during the fourth quarter worth approximately $708,000. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its position in Automatic Data Processing by 5.8% during the 3rd quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 280,961 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $77,750,000 after acquiring an additional 15,340 shares during the period. Bath Savings Trust Co boosted its position in Automatic Data Processing by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Bath Savings Trust Co now owns 99,299 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $29,068,000 after acquiring an additional 1,951 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Automatic Data Processing by 4.5% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 529,690 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $146,581,000 after purchasing an additional 22,766 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Automatic Data Processing by 8.4% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 667,068 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $194,117,000 after purchasing an additional 51,828 shares during the period. 80.03% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Automatic Data Processing Trading Down 6.3 %

Shares of NASDAQ ADP opened at $286.13 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $304.41 and a 200-day simple moving average of $297.03. The company has a market cap of $116.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.84, a P/E/G ratio of 3.62 and a beta of 0.74. Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has a 12 month low of $231.27 and a 12 month high of $322.84. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59.

Automatic Data Processing (NASDAQ:ADP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The business services provider reported $2.35 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.30 by $0.05. Automatic Data Processing had a net margin of 19.76% and a return on equity of 80.86%. Sell-side analysts predict that Automatic Data Processing, Inc. will post 9.93 EPS for the current year.

Automatic Data Processing Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th were paid a dividend of $1.54 per share. This represents a $6.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.15%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 14th. Automatic Data Processing’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 64.23%.

Insider Activity

In other Automatic Data Processing news, VP Jonathan S. Lehberger sold 2,324 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $303.30, for a total value of $704,869.20. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 3,063 shares in the company, valued at approximately $929,007.90. This represents a 43.14 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Brian L. Michaud sold 1,500 shares of Automatic Data Processing stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $305.38, for a total transaction of $458,070.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 12,073 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,686,852.74. This trade represents a 11.05 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 6,368 shares of company stock worth $1,903,541 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.21% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ADP has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $315.00 target price on shares of Automatic Data Processing in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Automatic Data Processing from $318.00 to $324.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. StockNews.com downgraded Automatic Data Processing from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Automatic Data Processing from $290.00 to $305.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on Automatic Data Processing from $325.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $302.30.

Automatic Data Processing Company Profile

Automatic Data Processing, Inc provides cloud-based human capital management solutions worldwide. It operates in two segments, Employer Services and Professional Employer Organization (PEO). The Employer Services segment offers strategic, cloud-based platforms, and human resources (HR) outsourcing solutions.