Will These Numbers from Automatic Data Processing Be Good Enough for You?

Seth Jayson, The Motley Fool
Updated

Automatic Data Processing (NAS: ADP) is expected to report Q1 earnings on Oct. 30. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

The 10-second takeaway
 Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Automatic Data Processing's revenues will grow 4.4% and EPS will grow 1.6%.

The average estimate for revenue is $2.63 billion. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.62.


Revenue details
 Last quarter, Automatic Data Processing booked revenue of $2.64 billion. GAAP reported sales were 5.2% higher than the prior-year quarter's $2.51 billion.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

EPS details
 Last quarter, EPS came in at $0.53. GAAP EPS of $0.53 for Q4 were 8.2% higher than the prior-year quarter's $0.49 per share.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

Recent performance
 For the preceding quarter, gross margin was 48.2%, 50 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 15.1%, 200 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 9.8%, 20 basis points better than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead

The full year's average estimate for revenue is $11.35 billion. The average EPS estimate is $2.94.

Investor sentiment
 The stock has a five-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 1,083 members out of 1,143 rating the stock outperform, and 60 members rating it underperform. Among 371 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 363 give Automatic Data Processing a green thumbs-up, and eight give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Automatic Data Processing is outperform, with an average price target of $59.53.

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The article Will These Numbers from Automatic Data Processing Be Good Enough for You? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Seth Jayson had no position in any company mentioned here at the time of publication. You can view his stock holdings here. He is co-advisor ofMotley Fool Hidden Gems, which provides new small-cap ideas every month, backed by a real-money portfolio. The Motley Fool has no positions in the stocks mentioned above. Motley Fool newsletter services recommend Automatic Data Processing. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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