ADP vs. DAL: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ADP and DAL, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | ADP | DAL |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Automatic Data Processing, Inc. | Delta Air Lines, Inc. |
| Country | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry | Professional Services | Passenger Airlines |
| Market Capitalization | 125.17 billion USD | 38.56 billion USD |
| Exchange | NasdaqGS | NYSE |
| Listing Date | March 17, 1980 | May 3, 2007 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ADP and DAL 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.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | ADP | DAL |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 0.25% | 0.15% |
| 13-Week Price Return | -4.27% | 15.35% |
| 26-Week Price Return | -0.30% | -7.82% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 15.76% | 45.91% |
| Month-to-Date Return | -1.22% | 10.98% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 4.44% | -2.40% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 1.40M | 7.42M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 1.62M | 10.08M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 17.03% | 43.57% |
| Beta | 0.86 | 1.54 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
ADP
72.62%
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 52.17%
- Q3
- 30.06%
- Median
- 22.21%
- Q1
- 11.67%
- Min
- -13.44%
ADP’s Return on Equity of 72.62% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Professional Services industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
DAL
29.02%
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 49.96%
- Q3
- 28.15%
- Median
- 15.41%
- Q1
- 8.29%
- Min
- -11.01%
In the upper quartile for the Passenger Airlines industry, DAL’s Return on Equity of 29.02% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
ADP
19.84%
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 26.06%
- Q3
- 13.34%
- Median
- 7.88%
- Q1
- 3.50%
- Min
- -2.93%
A Net Profit Margin of 19.84% places ADP in the upper quartile for the Professional Services industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
DAL
7.24%
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 17.65%
- Q3
- 8.90%
- Median
- 5.80%
- Q1
- 2.02%
- Min
- -3.12%
DAL’s Net Profit Margin of 7.24% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Passenger Airlines industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
ADP
26.32%
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 35.84%
- Q3
- 19.38%
- Median
- 12.54%
- Q1
- 7.36%
- Min
- -5.21%
An Operating Profit Margin of 26.32% places ADP in the upper quartile for the Professional Services industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
DAL
9.30%
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 22.47%
- Q3
- 12.33%
- Median
- 8.62%
- Q1
- 4.43%
- Min
- -2.88%
DAL’s Operating Profit Margin of 9.30% is around the midpoint for the Passenger Airlines industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ADP | DAL |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 72.62% | 29.02% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 7.30% | 5.85% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 19.84% | 7.24% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 26.32% | 9.30% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 47.37% | 50.92% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
ADP
1.05
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 2.45
- Q3
- 1.65
- Median
- 1.26
- Q1
- 1.10
- Min
- 0.47
ADP’s Current Ratio of 1.05 falls into the lower quartile for the Professional Services industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
DAL
0.38
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 1.46
- Q3
- 0.94
- Median
- 0.76
- Q1
- 0.54
- Min
- 0.17
DAL’s Current Ratio of 0.38 falls into the lower quartile for the Passenger Airlines industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
ADP
1.41
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 2.63
- Q3
- 1.44
- Median
- 0.91
- Q1
- 0.49
- Min
- 0.00
ADP’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.41 is typical for the Professional Services industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
DAL
0.86
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 9.80
- Q3
- 4.82
- Median
- 1.30
- Q1
- 0.89
- Min
- 0.00
Falling into the lower quartile for the Passenger Airlines industry, DAL’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.86 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
ADP
39.45
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 39.67
- Q3
- 20.05
- Median
- 11.07
- Q1
- 5.36
- Min
- -2.22
ADP’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 39.45 is in the upper quartile for the Professional Services industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
DAL
5.37
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 22.60
- Q3
- 16.29
- Median
- 6.75
- Q1
- 1.94
- Min
- -8.55
DAL’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 5.37 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Passenger Airlines industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ADP | DAL |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.05 | 0.38 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 1.05 | 0.25 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 1.41 | 0.86 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 39.45 | 5.37 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
ADP
1.92%
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 5.28%
- Q3
- 2.51%
- Median
- 1.63%
- Q1
- 0.62%
- Min
- 0.00%
ADP’s Dividend Yield of 1.92% is consistent with its peers in the Professional Services industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
DAL
1.00%
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 6.71%
- Q3
- 3.95%
- Median
- 1.10%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
DAL’s Dividend Yield of 1.00% is consistent with its peers in the Passenger Airlines industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
ADP
58.80%
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 109.23%
- Q3
- 64.39%
- Median
- 47.00%
- Q1
- 20.35%
- Min
- 0.00%
ADP’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 58.80% is within the typical range for the Professional Services industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
DAL
8.67%
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 71.59%
- Q3
- 38.54%
- Median
- 8.16%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
DAL’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 8.67% is within the typical range for the Passenger Airlines industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | ADP | DAL |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.92% | 1.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 58.80% | 8.67% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
ADP
30.59
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 49.59
- Q3
- 36.59
- Median
- 28.13
- Q1
- 18.55
- Min
- 10.07
ADP’s P/E Ratio of 30.59 is within the middle range for the Professional 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.
DAL
8.71
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 13.29
- Q3
- 11.94
- Median
- 8.78
- Q1
- 7.42
- Min
- 3.07
DAL’s P/E Ratio of 8.71 is within the middle range for the Passenger Airlines industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
ADP
6.07
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 9.54
- Q3
- 5.11
- Median
- 2.10
- Q1
- 0.75
- Min
- 0.11
ADP’s P/S Ratio of 6.07 is in the upper echelon for the Professional Services industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
DAL
0.63
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 1.09
- Q3
- 0.74
- Median
- 0.61
- Q1
- 0.44
- Min
- 0.09
DAL’s P/S Ratio of 0.63 aligns with the market consensus for the Passenger Airlines industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
ADP
20.23
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 13.75
- Q3
- 8.87
- Median
- 4.35
- Q1
- 2.43
- Min
- 0.54
At 20.23, ADP’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Professional Services industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
DAL
1.84
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 3.44
- Q3
- 2.89
- Median
- 1.84
- Q1
- 1.22
- Min
- 0.56
DAL’s P/B Ratio of 1.84 is within the conventional range for the Passenger Airlines industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | ADP | DAL |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 30.59 | 8.71 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 6.07 | 0.63 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 20.23 | 1.84 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 28.41 | 16.36 |