ADP vs. SWK: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ADP and SWK, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | ADP | SWK |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Automatic Data Processing, Inc. | Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. |
| Country | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry | Professional Services | Machinery |
| Market Capitalization | 123.52 billion USD | 11.76 billion USD |
| Exchange | NasdaqGS | NYSE |
| Listing Date | March 17, 1980 | March 17, 1980 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ADP and SWK 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 | SWK |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 0.48% | 10.53% |
| 13-Week Price Return | -1.43% | 4.76% |
| 26-Week Price Return | -1.30% | -11.56% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 17.69% | -18.30% |
| Month-to-Date Return | -1.47% | 12.31% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 4.17% | -5.37% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 1.63M | 1.86M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 1.72M | 2.81M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 17.35% | 47.04% |
| Beta | 0.86 | 1.20 |
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.
SWK
6.59%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 34.68%
- Q3
- 19.06%
- Median
- 13.13%
- Q1
- 8.53%
- Min
- -4.87%
SWK’s Return on Equity of 6.59% is in the lower quartile for the Machinery industry. This indicates a less efficient generation of profit from its equity base when compared to its competitors.
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.
SWK
3.85%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 19.74%
- Q3
- 11.24%
- Median
- 8.13%
- Q1
- 5.38%
- Min
- -1.11%
Falling into the lower quartile for the Machinery industry, SWK’s Net Profit Margin of 3.85% 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 (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.
SWK
4.70%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 26.63%
- Q3
- 16.15%
- Median
- 11.27%
- Q1
- 7.72%
- Min
- -4.91%
SWK’s Operating Profit Margin of 4.70% is in the lower quartile for the Machinery industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ADP | SWK |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 72.62% | 6.59% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 7.30% | 2.63% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 19.84% | 3.85% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 26.32% | 4.70% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 47.37% | 30.03% |
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.
SWK
1.04
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 3.83
- Q3
- 2.32
- Median
- 1.72
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- 0.78
SWK’s Current Ratio of 1.04 falls into the lower quartile for the Machinery 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.
SWK
0.74
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 1.49
- Q3
- 0.75
- Median
- 0.44
- Q1
- 0.26
- Min
- 0.00
SWK’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.74 is typical for the Machinery 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 (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.
SWK
1.75
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 67.55
- Q3
- 33.79
- Median
- 13.87
- Q1
- 7.97
- Min
- -1.43
In the lower quartile for the Machinery industry, SWK’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 1.75 indicates a tighter cushion for servicing debt, suggesting less financial flexibility than many of its competitors.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ADP | SWK |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.05 | 1.04 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 1.05 | 0.29 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 1.41 | 0.74 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 39.45 | 1.75 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
ADP
1.96%
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 5.28%
- Q3
- 2.51%
- Median
- 1.63%
- Q1
- 0.62%
- Min
- 0.00%
ADP’s Dividend Yield of 1.96% is consistent with its peers in the Professional Services industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
SWK
7.51%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 5.32%
- Q3
- 2.84%
- Median
- 1.87%
- Q1
- 1.09%
- Min
- 0.00%
SWK’s Dividend Yield of 7.51% is exceptionally high, placing it well above the typical range for the Machinery industry. While this may seem attractive, an unusually high yield can sometimes be a warning sign, reflecting a falling stock price or market concerns about the dividend’s sustainability.
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.
SWK
148.38%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 202.17%
- Q3
- 98.65%
- Median
- 55.54%
- Q1
- 29.03%
- Min
- 0.00%
SWK’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 148.38% is in the upper quartile for the Machinery 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 | SWK |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.96% | 7.51% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 58.80% | 148.38% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
ADP
30.03
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 49.59
- Q3
- 36.59
- Median
- 28.13
- Q1
- 18.55
- Min
- 10.07
ADP’s P/E Ratio of 30.03 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.
SWK
19.77
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 53.66
- Q3
- 31.29
- Median
- 22.00
- Q1
- 16.18
- Min
- 7.00
SWK’s P/E Ratio of 19.77 is within the middle range for the Machinery 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
5.96
Professional Services Industry
- Max
- 9.54
- Q3
- 5.11
- Median
- 2.10
- Q1
- 0.75
- Min
- 0.11
ADP’s P/S Ratio of 5.96 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.
SWK
0.76
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 5.04
- Q3
- 2.72
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.04
- Min
- 0.24
In the lower quartile for the Machinery industry, SWK’s P/S Ratio of 0.76 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 (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.
SWK
1.16
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 7.23
- Q3
- 3.90
- Median
- 2.52
- Q1
- 1.47
- Min
- 0.49
SWK’s P/B Ratio of 1.16 is in the lower quartile for the Machinery industry. From a value investing perspective, this is favorable, as it suggests the stock is trading at a discount to its net asset value and may offer a greater margin of safety.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | ADP | SWK |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 30.03 | 19.77 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 5.96 | 0.76 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 20.23 | 1.16 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 27.89 | 6.97 |