Compare Stocks › NOW vs PAYX
ServiceNow, Inc. (NOW) vs Paychex, Inc. (PAYX)
NOW
ServiceNow, Inc.
$113.27
VS
PAYX
Paychex, Inc.
$91.71
Rewards
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.
PAYX
- ★Paychex, Inc. has maintained ROIC above 15% for 4 consecutive years, indicating a durable competitive advantage.
- ★Gross margin of 73.4% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
- ★Paychex, Inc. scores 94/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with margin stability as the strongest competitive dimension.
Risks
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.
PAYX
- ⚠FCF yield of 6.2% suggests reasonable valuation assuming continued moderate growth.
Key Valuation Metrics
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PAYX
Valuation
$4.95B
Free Cash Flow
$2.06B
4.14%
FCF Yield
6.25%
67.83
Trailing P/E
20.75
22.56
Forward P/E
15.52
Quality & Moat
11.27%
ROIC
22.27%
13.48%
ROE
42.71%
77.53%
Gross Margin
73.36%
19.95
PEG Ratio
N/A
Balance Sheet Safety
0.19
Debt / Equity
1.30
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
-1.42
Net Debt / EBITDA
1.23
N/A
Dividend Yield
4.71%
NOW: 4Ties: 1PAYX: 5
NOWPAYX
Historical Fundamentals
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Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.
PAYX
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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$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
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
PAYX
$-1.19
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Market Cap Declined
Σ Retained
$966.2M
Δ Market Cap
$-1.15B
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
> $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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45.8% Overvalued
Price is 45.8% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $113.27
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
Fair Value: $77.67
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
PAYX
3.1% Overvalued
Price is 3.1% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $91.71
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
Fair Value: $88.99
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth
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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.
PAYX
What growth rate is the market pricing in at $92?
+9.0%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +6.1%
The market implies +9.0% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.
Standard FCF implies a demanding +6.1%, reflecting heavy growth investment.
Economic Moat Score
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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.
PAYX
94/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None
Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. Margin Stability 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.
Forensic Accounting
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-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.
PAYX
-2.93
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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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.
PAYX
Insiders 10.4%Institutions 84.6%Retail & Other 5.1%
No. of Institutional Holders2,063
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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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
PAYX
2
Buys (3M)
2
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $197,258
DOODY JOSEPH G
Director
$98,760
@ $98.76 · 2026-02-04
BONADIO THOMAS F
Director
$98,498
@ $98.50 · 2026-02-04
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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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
PAYX
0
Sells (3M)
6
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $22.06M
SCHRADER ROBERT L.
Chief Financial Officer
$444,391
@ $140.63 · 2025-07-16
SIMMONS CHRISTOPHER C
Officer and Treasurer
$259,826
@ $140.98 · 2025-07-16
GIBSON JOHN B JR
Chief Executive Officer
$1.76M
@ $141.92 · 2025-07-16
MUCCI MARTIN
Chairman of the Board
$14.16M
@ $145.17 · 2025-07-10
VELLI JOSEPH M
Director
$544,762
@ $149.25 · 2025-04-15
GIOJA MICHAEL E
Officer
$4.89M
@ $154.59 · 2025-04-03
BOTTINI MARK ANTHONY
Officer
$6.65M
@ $141.87 · 2024-10-16
SCHRADER ROBERT L.
Chief Financial Officer
$1.85M
@ $142.35 · 2024-10-15
GIOJA MICHAEL E
Officer
$3.67M
@ $139.03 · 2024-10-09
GIOJA MICHAEL E
Officer
$2.05M
@ $139.18 · 2024-10-04
DOODY JOSEPH G
Director
$1.13M
@ $130.69 · 2024-08-26
SIMMONS CHRISTOPHER C
Officer and Treasurer
$293,797
@ $125.34 · 2024-08-16
FLASCHEN DAVID J S
Director
$1.81M
@ $125.21 · 2024-08-05
FLASCHEN DAVID J S
Director
$1.21M
@ $125.60 · 2024-07-26
BOTTINI MARK ANTHONY
Officer
$1.11M
@ $123.60 · 2024-07-24
GIBSON JOHN B JR
Chief Executive Officer
$1.51M
@ $119.53 · 2024-07-15
MUCCI MARTIN
Chairman of the Board
$21.93M
@ $117.04 · 2024-07-02
FLASCHEN DAVID J S
Director
$2.45M
@ $124.55 · 2024-05-24
VELLI JOSEPH M
Director
$1.35M
@ $124.28 · 2024-05-17
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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😨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.
PAYX
😨Fear(32/100)
"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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⚪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)
PAYX
⚪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 (32)