Compare StocksADP vs NOW

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP) vs ServiceNow, Inc. (NOW)

ADP
Automatic Data Processing, Inc.
$210.66
VS
NOW
ServiceNow, Inc.
$113.27

Rewards

ADP
  • Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has maintained ROIC above 15% for 4 consecutive years, indicating a durable competitive advantage.
  • Automatic Data Processing, Inc. scores 93/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with revenue predictability as the strongest competitive dimension.
  • Free cash flow has grown at a 19.9% CAGR over the past 4 years, demonstrating strong earnings power growth.
NOW
  • Gross margin of 77.5% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
  • Free cash flow has grown at a 27.8% CAGR over the past 4 years, demonstrating strong earnings power growth.
  • Each dollar of retained earnings has created $16.65 of market value — management is an exceptional capital allocator.

Risks

ADP
  • 8 insider sales totaling $1.3M with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.
NOW
  • Despite buyback spending, shares outstanding increased in 3 out of 3 years — stock-based compensation is offsetting repurchases.
  • PEG ratio of 19.95 indicates the stock is expensive relative to its expected growth — the market may be pricing in more growth than analysts project.

Key Valuation Metrics

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ADP
NOW
Valuation
$3.46B
Free Cash Flow
$4.95B
4.06%
FCF Yield
4.14%
20.24
Trailing P/E
67.83
17.61
Forward P/E
22.56
Quality & Moat
40.52%
ROIC
11.27%
63.82%
ROE
13.48%
48.35%
Gross Margin
77.53%
1.76
PEG Ratio
19.95
Balance Sheet Safety
0.70
Debt / Equity
0.19
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
0.33
Net Debt / EBITDA
-1.42
3.23%
Dividend Yield
N/A
ADP: 5Ties: 2NOW: 4
ADPNOW

Historical Fundamentals

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ADP

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

NOW

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

$1 Retained Earnings Test

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ADP
$1.02
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Value Creator
Σ Retained
$4.76B
Δ Market Cap
+$4.87B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
NOW
$16.65
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$4.90B
Δ Market Cap
+$81.66B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis

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ADP
8.1% Margin of Safety
Price is 8.1% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $210.66
Fair Value: $229.28
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
NOW
45.8% Overvalued
Price is 45.8% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $113.27
Fair Value: $77.67
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued

Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth

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ADP

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $211?

+8.6%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +10.9%

The market implies +8.6% Owner Earnings growth, roughly in line with history — reasonably priced.

Standard FCF implies +10.9%, reflecting ongoing growth investment.

NOW

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $113?

+24.1%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +9.8%

The market implies +24.1% Owner Earnings growth, below historical trends — potential opportunity.

Standard FCF implies a more demanding +9.8%, reflecting heavy growth investment expected to generate future returns.

Economic Moat Score

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ADP
93/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. Revenue Predictability is the standout factor.

Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.
NOW
61/100
Narrow Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Narrow moat with revenue predictability as the key competitive advantage. Improving roic consistency would strengthen the moat.

Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 5 years of fundamental data.

Forensic Accounting

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ADP
-3.03
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
NOW
-2.87
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

Ownership Breakdown

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ADP
Insiders 0.2%Institutions 86.5%Retail & Other 13.3%
No. of Institutional Holders3,068
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
NOW
Insiders 0.2%Institutions 90.0%Retail & Other 9.8%
No. of Institutional Holders3,199
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

Insider Buying Activity

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ADP
0
Buys (3M)
0
Buys (12M)
No open market insider purchases found.
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
NOW
1
Buys (3M)
1
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $3.00M
MCDERMOTT WILLIAM R
Chief Executive Officer
$3.00M
@ $104.60 · 2026-02-27
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises

Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.

Insider Selling Activity

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ADP
8
Sells (3M)
26
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $46.14M
D'AMBROSIO CHRISTOPHER
Officer
$113,188
@ $208.45 · 2026-03-16
D'AMBROSIO CHRISTOPHER
Officer
$115,349
@ $212.43 · 2026-02-17
MICHAUD BRIAN L.
Officer
$234,180
@ $234.18 · 2026-02-06
FOSKETT DAVID
Officer
$63,042
@ $237.00 · 2026-02-05
D'AMBROSIO CHRISTOPHER
Officer
$142,423
@ $262.29 · 2026-01-13
KWON DAVID
Officer
$213,429
@ $264.80 · 2026-01-12
KWON DAVID
Officer
$234,000
@ $260.00 · 2026-01-06
BLACK MARIA
Chief Executive Officer
$183,880
@ $257.17 · 2026-01-05
RODRIGUEZ CARLOS ANTONIO
Director
$1.21M
@ $295.26 · 2025-09-12
D'AMBROSIO CHRISTOPHER
Officer
$177,249
@ $296.90 · 2025-09-10
RODRIGUEZ CARLOS ANTONIO
Director
$12.95M
@ $295.05 · 2025-09-10
BONARTI MICHAEL A
Officer
$2.60M
@ $298.43 · 2025-09-09
RODRIGUEZ CARLOS ANTONIO
Director
$3.58M
@ $297.12 · 2025-09-05
RODRIGUEZ CARLOS ANTONIO
Director
$7.00M
@ $299.31 · 2025-09-04
MCGUIRE DONALD
Officer
$4.03M
@ $296.57 · 2025-09-03
DESILVA JOSEPH
Officer
$1.37M
@ $296.57 · 2025-09-03
FOSKETT DAVID
Officer
$407,191
@ $296.57 · 2025-09-03
BLACK MARIA
Chief Executive Officer
$7.04M
@ $298.32 · 2025-09-03
DESILVA JOSEPH
Officer
$599,359
@ $301.64 · 2025-09-02
FOSKETT DAVID
Officer
$314,079
@ $301.13 · 2025-09-02
BLACK MARIA
Chief Executive Officer
$2.32M
@ $299.93 · 2025-09-02
MICHAUD BRIAN L.
Officer
$63,485
@ $308.18 · 2025-07-01
DESILVA JOSEPH
Officer
$424,064
@ $307.07 · 2025-06-13
D'AMBROSIO CHRISTOPHER
Officer
$147,179
@ $311.82 · 2025-05-12
D'AMBROSIO CHRISTOPHER
Officer
$140,121
@ $293.14 · 2025-04-10
MICHAUD BRIAN L.
Officer
$458,070
@ $305.38 · 2025-04-01
D'AMBROSIO CHRISTOPHER
Officer
$144,833
@ $306.20 · 2025-03-10
D'AMBROSIO CHRISTOPHER
Officer
$145,181
@ $308.24 · 2025-02-10
LEHBERGER JONATHAN S
Officer
$704,869
@ $303.30 · 2025-02-03
BONARTI MICHAEL A
Officer
$9.14M
@ $303.30 · 2025-02-03
MAGLIULO VIRGINIA
Officer
$1.02M
@ $285.50 · 2025-01-13
FOSKETT DAVID
Officer
$305,322
@ $286.15 · 2025-01-13
KWON DAVID
Officer
$382,127
@ $290.37 · 2025-01-06
MAGLIULO VIRGINIA
Officer
$597,095
@ $289.15 · 2025-01-06
FOSKETT DAVID
Officer
$290,443
@ $289.29 · 2025-01-06
BLACK MARIA
Chief Executive Officer
$210,233
@ $291.59 · 2025-01-03
AYALA JOHN C.
Officer
$3.12M
@ $290.73 · 2025-01-03
MCGUIRE DONALD
Officer
$2.55M
@ $293.83 · 2025-01-02
MICHAUD BRIAN L.
Officer
$106,366
@ $293.83 · 2025-01-02
DESILVA JOSEPH
Officer
$1.91M
@ $293.83 · 2025-01-02
KWON DAVID
Officer
$571,793
@ $293.83 · 2025-01-02
LEHBERGER JONATHAN S
Officer
$728,405
@ $293.83 · 2025-01-02
KUTAM SREENIVASA
Officer
$11.69M
@ $300.00 · 2024-11-06
DESILVA JOSEPH
Officer
$387,240
@ $280.00 · 2024-09-17
KWON DAVID
Officer
$28,000
@ $280.00 · 2024-09-17
RODRIGUEZ CARLOS ANTONIO
Director
$12.17M
@ $277.27 · 2024-09-13
RODRIGUEZ CARLOS ANTONIO
Director
$16.27M
@ $276.33 · 2024-09-11
AYALA JOHN C.
Officer
$7.96M
@ $269.70 · 2024-09-09
BONARTI MICHAEL A
Officer
$1.04M
@ $269.70 · 2024-09-09
RODRIGUEZ CARLOS ANTONIO
Director
$2.48M
@ $269.45 · 2024-09-06
RODRIGUEZ CARLOS ANTONIO
Director
$4.87M
@ $272.82 · 2024-09-05
MCGUIRE DONALD
Officer
$768,660
@ $276.00 · 2024-09-04
DESILVA JOSEPH
Officer
$1.16M
@ $276.00 · 2024-09-04
D'AMBROSIO CHRISTOPHER
Officer
$132,204
@ $276.00 · 2024-09-04
BLACK MARIA
Chief Executive Officer
$2.04M
@ $276.00 · 2024-09-04
MCGUIRE DONALD
Officer
$872,254
@ $274.38 · 2024-09-03
DESILVA JOSEPH
Officer
$522,694
@ $274.38 · 2024-09-03
BLACK MARIA
Chief Executive Officer
$5.25M
@ $274.38 · 2024-09-03
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
NOW
4
Sells (3M)
48
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $27.80M
FIPPS PAUL
Officer
$376,142
@ $101.77 · 2026-02-23
FIPPS PAUL
Officer
$1.02M
@ $105.93 · 2026-02-18
MCBRIDE KEVIN THOMAS
Officer
$147,994
@ $105.71 · 2026-02-13
CHAMBERLAIN PAUL EDWARD
Director
$151,755
@ $101.17 · 2026-02-12
MASTANTUONO GINA
President
$352,750
@ $850.00 · 2025-12-05
MASTANTUONO GINA
President
$336,936
@ $808.00 · 2025-11-28
JACKSON LAWRENCE
Director
$214,708
@ $810.22 · 2025-11-28
CHAMBERLAIN PAUL EDWARD
Director
$242,400
@ $808.00 · 2025-11-28
CANNEY JACQUELINE P
Officer
$200,549
@ $839.12 · 2025-11-18
FIPPS PAUL
Officer
$249,353
@ $817.55 · 2025-11-18
TZITZON NICHOLAS
Officer
$431,736
@ $827.08 · 2025-11-18
ELMER RUSSELL S.
General Counsel
$160,155
@ $838.51 · 2025-11-18
MCBRIDE KEVIN THOMAS
Officer
$235,894
@ $842.48 · 2025-11-14
CANNEY JACQUELINE P
Officer
$56,257
@ $852.38 · 2025-11-13
ELMER RUSSELL S.
General Counsel
$52,848
@ $852.39 · 2025-11-13
CANNEY JACQUELINE P
Officer
$222,012
@ $863.86 · 2025-11-10
ELMER RUSSELL S.
General Counsel
$164,997
@ $863.86 · 2025-11-10
SANDS ANITA M
Director
$1.00M
@ $915.11 · 2025-08-29
MCDERMOTT WILLIAM R
Chief Executive Officer
$5.34M
@ $916.63 · 2025-08-28
FIPPS PAUL
Officer
$1.30M
@ $895.32 · 2025-08-20
ELMER RUSSELL S.
General Counsel
$1.50M
@ $884.26 · 2025-08-20
MCDERMOTT WILLIAM R
Chief Executive Officer
$1.43M
@ $900.00 · 2025-08-19
CANNEY JACQUELINE P
Officer
$1.35M
@ $866.45 · 2025-08-18
MASTANTUONO GINA
President
$1.53M
@ $866.45 · 2025-08-18
TZITZON NICHOLAS
Officer
$1.49M
@ $866.45 · 2025-08-18
MCBRIDE KEVIN THOMAS
Officer
$238,496
@ $851.77 · 2025-08-15
CHAMBERLAIN PAUL EDWARD
Director
$258,000
@ $860.00 · 2025-08-14
CANNEY JACQUELINE P
Officer
$57,658
@ $860.57 · 2025-08-13
MASTANTUONO GINA
President
$72,288
@ $860.57 · 2025-08-13
CANNEY JACQUELINE P
Officer
$225,746
@ $878.39 · 2025-08-08
MASTANTUONO GINA
President
$256,490
@ $878.39 · 2025-08-08
JACKSON LAWRENCE
Director
$749,805
@ $990.50 · 2025-07-29
CANNEY JACQUELINE P
Officer
$341,631
@ $965.06 · 2025-07-16
SANDS ANITA M
Director
$250,950
@ $1050.00 · 2025-07-03
MCBRIDE KEVIN THOMAS
Officer
$283,310
@ $1011.82 · 2025-06-03
SANDS ANITA M
Director
$250,267
@ $1009.14 · 2025-06-02
CANNEY JACQUELINE P
Officer
$147,900
@ $1020.00 · 2025-05-30
TZITZON NICHOLAS
Officer
$1.19M
@ $1020.00 · 2025-05-30
MCDERMOTT WILLIAM R
Chief Executive Officer
$2.07M
@ $1012.01 · 2025-05-30
SANDS ANITA M
Director
$433,825
@ $1013.61 · 2025-05-27
BRIGGS TERESA
Director
$216,913
@ $1013.61 · 2025-05-27
LUDDY FREDERIC B
Director
$428,000
@ $1000.00 · 2025-05-23
MASTANTUONO GINA
President
$121,570
@ $1030.25 · 2025-05-19
CANNEY JACQUELINE P
Officer
$96,844
@ $1030.26 · 2025-05-19
ELMER RUSSELL S.
General Counsel
$83,450
@ $1030.25 · 2025-05-19
CHAMBERLAIN PAUL EDWARD
Director
$310,326
@ $1034.42 · 2025-05-15
MASTANTUONO GINA
President
$85,932
@ $1023.00 · 2025-05-13
CANNEY JACQUELINE P
Officer
$67,518
@ $1023.00 · 2025-05-13
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives

Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.

🎭 Mr. Market's Mood

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ADP
FearGreed
😨Fear(35/100)

"Market is pessimistic — investigate whether fears are temporary or structural"

Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
NOW
FearGreed
😨Fear(38/100)

"Market is pessimistic — investigate whether fears are temporary or structural"

Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

Composite sentiment score based on market signals. Inspired by Buffett’s "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

⚖️ Buffett Signal

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ADP
Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Fear (35)
NOW
Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Fear (38)
View ADP Full AnalysisView NOW Full Analysis
Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP) vs ServiceNow, Inc. (NOW) Stock Comparison | SafetyMargin.io