ADP vs. BAH: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ADP and BAH, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
ADP’s market capitalization of 125.51 billion USD is substantially larger than BAH’s 13.52 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
ADP’s beta of 0.80 points to significantly higher volatility compared to BAH (beta: 0.49), suggesting ADP has greater potential for both gains and losses relative to market movements.
| Symbol | ADP | BAH |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Automatic Data Processing, Inc. | Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| Industry | Staffing & Employment Services | Consulting Services |
| CEO | Maria Black | Horacio D. Rozanski |
| Price | 309.2 USD | 108.93 USD |
| Market Cap | 125.51 billion USD | 13.52 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.80 | 0.49 |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NYSE |
| IPO Date | March 17, 1980 | November 18, 2010 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ADP and BAH 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.
BAH
84.96%
Consulting Services Industry
- Max
- 26.22%
- Q3
- 25.78%
- Median
- 23.70%
- Q1
- 12.26%
- Min
- 8.67%
BAH’s Return on Equity of 84.96% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Consulting Services 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.
BAH
--
Consulting Services Industry
- Max
- 33.93%
- Q3
- 19.78%
- Median
- 12.27%
- Q1
- 8.32%
- Min
- 5.66%
Return on Invested Capital data for BAH is currently unavailable.
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.
BAH
6.20%
Consulting Services Industry
- Max
- 22.69%
- Q3
- 14.78%
- Median
- 7.88%
- Q1
- 6.68%
- Min
- 5.45%
Falling into the lower quartile for the Consulting Services industry, BAH’s Net Profit Margin of 6.20% indicates weaker profitability. This means the company retains a smaller portion of each dollar in sales as profit compared to its competitors.
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.
BAH
9.14%
Consulting Services Industry
- Max
- 34.23%
- Q3
- 21.10%
- Median
- 10.99%
- Q1
- 9.29%
- Min
- 8.13%
BAH’s Operating Profit Margin of 9.14% is in the lower quartile for the Consulting Services industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ADP | BAH |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 76.78% | 84.96% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 7.08% | -- |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 23.22% | -- |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 19.79% | 6.20% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 17.38% | 9.14% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 47.09% | 66.28% |
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.
BAH
--
Consulting Services Industry
- Max
- 3.32
- Q3
- 2.20
- Median
- 1.69
- Q1
- 1.09
- Min
- 0.85
Current Ratio data for BAH is currently unavailable.
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.
BAH
--
Consulting Services Industry
- Max
- 1.24
- Q3
- 1.14
- Median
- 0.76
- Q1
- 0.17
- Min
- 0.06
Debt-to-Equity Ratio data for BAH is currently unavailable.
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.
BAH
7.67
Consulting Services Industry
- Max
- 45.92
- Q3
- 30.67
- Median
- 10.52
- Q1
- 7.67
- Min
- 3.02
BAH’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 7.67 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Consulting Services industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ADP | BAH |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 1.02 | -- |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 1.02 | -- |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.73 | -- |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.08 | -- |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.26 | -- |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 7.90 | 7.67 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ADP and BAH. 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.
BAH
1.95%
Consulting Services Industry
- Max
- 2.06%
- Q3
- 0.84%
- Median
- 0.54%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 1.95%, BAH offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Consulting Services industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
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.
BAH
36.10%
Consulting Services Industry
- Max
- 55.92%
- Q3
- 28.27%
- Median
- 23.01%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
BAH’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 36.10% is in the upper quartile for the Consulting Services industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | ADP | BAH |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.95% | 1.95% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 58.73% | 36.10% |
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.
BAH
18.84
Consulting Services Industry
- Max
- 51.91
- Q3
- 40.33
- Median
- 21.50
- Q1
- 17.51
- Min
- 10.23
BAH’s P/E Ratio of 18.84 is within the middle range for the Consulting Services industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
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.
BAH
2.00
Consulting Services Industry
- Max
- 4.82
- Q3
- 3.61
- Median
- 2.04
- Q1
- 1.65
- Min
- 0.72
BAH’s Forward PEG Ratio of 2.00 is within the middle range of its peers in the Consulting Services industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
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.
BAH
1.13
Consulting Services Industry
- Max
- 6.73
- Q3
- 4.77
- Median
- 1.83
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- 0.77
In the lower quartile for the Consulting Services industry, BAH’s P/S Ratio of 1.13 indicates its revenue is valued more conservatively than most of its peers. This could present a compelling opportunity if the market has overlooked its sales-generating capabilities.
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.
BAH
--
Consulting Services Industry
- Max
- 8.62
- Q3
- 6.18
- Median
- 4.55
- Q1
- 2.94
- Min
- 1.61
The P/B Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric for the Consulting Services industry.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | ADP | BAH |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 31.47 | 18.84 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 3.56 | 2.00 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 6.21 | 1.13 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 21.49 | -- |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 27.77 | 18.86 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 20.57 | 10.88 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 6.29 | 1.13 |