ADP vs. BA: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ADP and BA, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
ADP’s market capitalization stands at 125.51 billion USD, while BA’s is 162.80 billion USD, indicating their market valuations are broadly comparable.
BA carries a higher beta at 1.42, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while ADP (beta: 0.80) exhibits greater stability.
| Symbol | ADP | BA |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Automatic Data Processing, Inc. | The Boeing Company |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| Industry | Staffing & Employment Services | Aerospace & Defense |
| CEO | Maria Black | Robert K. Ortberg |
| Price | 309.2 USD | 215.92 USD |
| Market Cap | 125.51 billion USD | 162.80 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.80 | 1.42 |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NYSE |
| IPO Date | March 17, 1980 | January 2, 1962 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ADP and BA by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.
Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Profitability
Return on Equity
ADP
76.78%
Staffing & Employment Services Industry
- Max
- 76.78%
- Q3
- 46.63%
- Median
- 19.55%
- Q1
- 6.99%
- Min
- -1.64%
In the upper quartile for the Staffing & Employment Services industry, ADP’s Return on Equity of 76.78% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
BA
94.43%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 42.57%
- Q3
- 16.67%
- Median
- 8.39%
- Q1
- -0.77%
- Min
- -23.36%
BA’s Return on Equity of 94.43% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
Return on Invested Capital
ADP
23.22%
Staffing & Employment Services Industry
- Max
- 23.22%
- Q3
- 18.16%
- Median
- 9.93%
- Q1
- 4.57%
- Min
- -1.94%
In the upper quartile for the Staffing & Employment Services industry, ADP’s Return on Invested Capital of 23.22% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
BA
-16.36%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 23.42%
- Q3
- 8.86%
- Median
- 5.47%
- Q1
- -5.60%
- Min
- -22.46%
BA has a negative Return on Invested Capital of -16.36%. This indicates that its operations are failing to generate a profit on the total capital invested, signaling significant inefficiency or value destruction.
Net Profit Margin
ADP
19.79%
Staffing & Employment Services Industry
- Max
- 30.46%
- Q3
- 17.07%
- Median
- 3.53%
- Q1
- 0.98%
- Min
- -4.15%
A Net Profit Margin of 19.79% places ADP in the upper quartile for the Staffing & Employment Services industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
BA
-16.58%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 22.67%
- Q3
- 8.04%
- Median
- 4.95%
- Q1
- -5.07%
- Min
- -16.58%
BA has a negative Net Profit Margin of -16.58%, indicating the company is operating at a net loss as its expenses exceeded its revenues.
Operating Profit Margin
ADP
17.38%
Staffing & Employment Services Industry
- Max
- 19.92%
- Q3
- 12.35%
- Median
- 4.95%
- Q1
- 2.59%
- Min
- -2.06%
An Operating Profit Margin of 17.38% places ADP in the upper quartile for the Staffing & Employment Services industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
BA
-14.63%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 22.01%
- Q3
- 11.49%
- Median
- 8.96%
- Q1
- 3.77%
- Min
- -4.96%
BA has a negative Operating Profit Margin of -14.63%. This signifies the company is unprofitable at the operational level, as its core business expenses exceed its revenue.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ADP | BA |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 76.78% | 94.43% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 7.08% | -7.36% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 23.22% | -16.36% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 19.79% | -16.58% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 17.38% | -14.63% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 47.09% | -2.09% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
ADP
1.02
Staffing & Employment Services Industry
- Max
- 2.06
- Q3
- 2.01
- Median
- 1.65
- Q1
- 1.15
- Min
- 1.02
ADP’s Current Ratio of 1.02 falls into the lower quartile for the Staffing & Employment Services industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
BA
1.23
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 5.13
- Q3
- 3.36
- Median
- 2.16
- Q1
- 1.20
- Min
- 0.41
BA’s Current Ratio of 1.23 aligns with the median group of the Aerospace & Defense industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
ADP
0.73
Staffing & Employment Services Industry
- Max
- 0.73
- Q3
- 0.70
- Median
- 0.22
- Q1
- 0.11
- Min
- 0.02
ADP’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Staffing & Employment Services industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.73. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.
BA
-16.13
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 1.20
- Q3
- 0.73
- Median
- 0.51
- Q1
- 0.09
- Min
- 0.00
BA has a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of -16.13, which indicates negative shareholder equity where liabilities exceed assets. This is a critical sign of financial distress.
Interest Coverage Ratio
ADP
7.90
Staffing & Employment Services Industry
- Max
- 7.90
- Q3
- 7.90
- Median
- 2.91
- Q1
- -0.32
- Min
- -1.17
ADP’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 7.90 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Staffing & Employment Services industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
BA
-3.55
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 12.62
- Q3
- 7.38
- Median
- 2.95
- Q1
- 1.68
- Min
- -6.68
BA has a negative Interest Coverage Ratio of -3.55. This indicates that its earnings were insufficient to cover even its operational costs, let alone its interest payments, signaling significant financial distress.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ADP | BA |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 1.02 | 1.23 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 1.02 | 0.37 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.73 | -16.13 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.08 | 0.34 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.26 | -6.18 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 7.90 | -3.55 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ADP and BA. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
ADP
1.95%
Staffing & Employment Services Industry
- Max
- 5.58%
- Q3
- 3.50%
- Median
- 2.08%
- Q1
- 0.83%
- Min
- 0.00%
ADP’s Dividend Yield of 1.95% is consistent with its peers in the Staffing & Employment Services industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
BA
0.00%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 6.00%
- Q3
- 0.66%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
BA currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.
Dividend Payout Ratio
ADP
58.73%
Staffing & Employment Services Industry
- Max
- 161.25%
- Q3
- 109.23%
- Median
- 58.73%
- Q1
- 15.69%
- Min
- 0.00%
ADP’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 58.73% is within the typical range for the Staffing & Employment Services industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
BA
-0.63%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 172.02%
- Q3
- 32.47%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
BA has a negative Dividend Payout Ratio of -0.63%. This typically means the company paid a dividend despite reporting a net loss, a situation that may signal financial instability.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | ADP | BA |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.95% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 58.73% | -0.63% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
ADP
31.47
Staffing & Employment Services Industry
- Max
- 35.74
- Q3
- 30.98
- Median
- 20.51
- Q1
- 15.65
- Min
- 7.85
A P/E Ratio of 31.47 places ADP in the upper quartile for the Staffing & Employment Services industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.
BA
-14.13
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 75.34
- Q3
- 54.40
- Median
- 38.63
- Q1
- 26.10
- Min
- 16.44
BA has a negative P/E Ratio of -14.13. This occurs when a company has negative earnings (a net loss), making the ratio unsuitable for valuation analysis.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
ADP
3.56
Staffing & Employment Services Industry
- Max
- 3.23
- Q3
- 1.89
- Median
- 1.18
- Q1
- 1.00
- Min
- 0.39
ADP’s Forward PEG Ratio of 3.56 is exceptionally high for the Staffing & Employment Services industry. This suggests its stock price is very high relative to its expected earnings growth, signaling significant overvaluation risk.
BA
-6.47
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 10.68
- Q3
- 5.36
- Median
- 2.31
- Q1
- 1.47
- Min
- 0.01
BA has a negative Forward PEG Ratio of -6.47. This typically results from negative earnings or forecasts of declining future earnings, making the ratio not meaningful for valuation.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
ADP
6.21
Staffing & Employment Services Industry
- Max
- 3.70
- Q3
- 2.09
- Median
- 0.86
- Q1
- 0.59
- Min
- 0.09
With a P/S Ratio of 6.21, ADP trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Staffing & Employment Services industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.
BA
2.34
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 19.34
- Q3
- 9.54
- Median
- 2.71
- Q1
- 1.59
- Min
- 0.35
BA’s P/S Ratio of 2.34 aligns with the market consensus for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
Price-to-Book Ratio
ADP
21.49
Staffing & Employment Services Industry
- Max
- 21.09
- Q3
- 12.56
- Median
- 3.17
- Q1
- 1.96
- Min
- 0.33
The P/B Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric for the Staffing & Employment Services industry.
BA
-48.92
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 16.08
- Q3
- 8.12
- Median
- 4.12
- Q1
- 2.69
- Min
- 0.69
BA has a negative P/B Ratio of -48.92, indicating its liabilities exceed its assets and result in negative shareholder equity. This is a critical warning sign of financial distress.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | ADP | BA |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 31.47 | -14.13 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 3.56 | -6.47 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 6.21 | 2.34 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 21.49 | -48.92 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 27.77 | -12.76 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 20.57 | -29.33 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 6.29 | 2.97 |