ADP vs. NSC: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ADP and NSC, 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 NSC’s 59.18 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
NSC carries a higher beta at 1.31, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while ADP (beta: 0.80) exhibits greater stability.
| Symbol | ADP | NSC |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Automatic Data Processing, Inc. | Norfolk Southern Corporation |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| Industry | Staffing & Employment Services | Railroads |
| CEO | Maria Black | Mark R. George |
| Price | 309.2 USD | 262.5 USD |
| Market Cap | 125.51 billion USD | 59.18 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.80 | 1.31 |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NYSE |
| IPO Date | March 17, 1980 | June 2, 1982 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ADP and NSC 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.
NSC
23.89%
Railroads Industry
- Max
- 40.80%
- Q3
- 24.36%
- Median
- 18.32%
- Q1
- 11.84%
- Min
- 8.37%
NSC’s Return on Equity of 23.89% is on par with the norm for the Railroads industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
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.
NSC
9.44%
Railroads Industry
- Max
- 11.47%
- Q3
- 9.66%
- Median
- 9.08%
- Q1
- 7.36%
- Min
- 4.32%
NSC’s Return on Invested Capital of 9.44% is in line with the norm for the Railroads industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.
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.
NSC
27.40%
Railroads Industry
- Max
- 27.77%
- Q3
- 26.50%
- Median
- 24.33%
- Q1
- 9.34%
- Min
- 4.79%
A Net Profit Margin of 27.40% places NSC in the upper quartile for the Railroads industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
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.
NSC
41.08%
Railroads Industry
- Max
- 41.08%
- Q3
- 37.86%
- Median
- 35.40%
- Q1
- 15.99%
- Min
- 10.85%
An Operating Profit Margin of 41.08% places NSC in the upper quartile for the Railroads industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ADP | NSC |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 76.78% | 23.89% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 7.08% | 7.58% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 23.22% | 9.44% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 19.79% | 27.40% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 17.38% | 41.08% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 47.09% | 39.07% |
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.
NSC
0.78
Railroads Industry
- Max
- 1.97
- Q3
- 1.41
- Median
- 0.85
- Q1
- 0.77
- Min
- 0.62
NSC’s Current Ratio of 0.78 aligns with the median group of the Railroads 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.
NSC
1.19
Railroads Industry
- Max
- 2.11
- Q3
- 1.44
- Median
- 1.19
- Q1
- 0.72
- Min
- 0.39
NSC’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.19 is typical for the Railroads industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
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.
NSC
6.18
Railroads Industry
- Max
- 8.45
- Q3
- 7.16
- Median
- 6.40
- Q1
- 5.53
- Min
- 4.30
NSC’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 6.18 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Railroads industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ADP | NSC |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 1.02 | 0.78 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 1.02 | 0.70 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.73 | 1.19 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.08 | 0.39 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.26 | 2.51 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 7.90 | 6.18 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ADP and NSC. 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.
NSC
2.06%
Railroads Industry
- Max
- 4.30%
- Q3
- 2.64%
- Median
- 2.21%
- Q1
- 1.33%
- Min
- 0.43%
NSC’s Dividend Yield of 2.06% is consistent with its peers in the Railroads industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
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.
NSC
36.82%
Railroads Industry
- Max
- 69.30%
- Q3
- 47.83%
- Median
- 32.93%
- Q1
- 18.85%
- Min
- 13.29%
NSC’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 36.82% is within the typical range for the Railroads industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | ADP | NSC |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.95% | 2.06% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 58.73% | 36.82% |
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.
NSC
17.88
Railroads Industry
- Max
- 26.01
- Q3
- 22.00
- Median
- 19.48
- Q1
- 17.09
- Min
- 16.09
NSC’s P/E Ratio of 17.88 is within the middle range for the Railroads 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.
NSC
1.58
Railroads Industry
- Max
- 1.85
- Q3
- 1.84
- Median
- 1.79
- Q1
- 1.59
- Min
- 1.52
The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Railroads industry.
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.
NSC
4.89
Railroads Industry
- Max
- 6.74
- Q3
- 5.30
- Median
- 4.55
- Q1
- 2.73
- Min
- 0.42
NSC’s P/S Ratio of 4.89 aligns with the market consensus for the Railroads 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.
NSC
4.09
Railroads Industry
- Max
- 5.11
- Q3
- 4.36
- Median
- 3.70
- Q1
- 1.98
- Min
- 1.00
NSC’s P/B Ratio of 4.09 is within the conventional range for the Railroads 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 | NSC |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 31.47 | 17.88 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 3.56 | 1.58 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 6.21 | 4.89 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 21.49 | 4.09 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 27.77 | 31.33 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 20.57 | 11.65 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 6.29 | 6.22 |