ARMK vs. PAYX: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on August 30, 2025

Here’s a clear look at ARMK and PAYX, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Profile

Symbol	ARMK	PAYX
Company Name	Aramark	Paychex, Inc.
Country	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Consumer Discretionary	Industrials
GICS Industry	Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure	Professional Services
Market Capitalization	10.39 billion USD	49.95 billion USD
Exchange	NYSE	NasdaqGS
Listing Date	December 12, 2013	August 26, 1983
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of ARMK and PAYX 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.

ARMK vs. PAYX: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	ARMK	PAYX
5-Day Price Return	0.23%	0.17%
13-Week Price Return	-0.38%	-12.78%
26-Week Price Return	9.96%	-6.64%
52-Week Price Return	11.33%	6.50%
Month-to-Date Return	-7.17%	-3.94%
Year-to-Date Return	5.90%	-1.12%
10-Day Avg. Volume	2.03M	2.10M
3-Month Avg. Volume	1.96M	2.15M
3-Month Volatility	24.39%	26.39%
Beta	1.22	0.95

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

ARMK

11.83%

Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure Industry

Max: 83.01%
Q3: 39.51%
Median: 17.38%
Q1: 5.32%
Min: -45.92%

ARMK’s Return on Equity of 11.83% is on par with the norm for the Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

PAYX

41.38%

Professional Services Industry

Max: 52.17%
Q3: 30.06%
Median: 22.21%
Q1: 11.67%
Min: -13.44%

In the upper quartile for the Professional Services industry, PAYX’s Return on Equity of 41.38% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.

ARMK vs. PAYX: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure and Professional Services industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

ARMK

2.02%

Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure Industry

Max: 26.45%
Q3: 14.67%
Median: 8.69%
Q1: 3.34%
Min: -11.30%

Falling into the lower quartile for the Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure industry, ARMK’s Net Profit Margin of 2.02% indicates weaker profitability. This means the company retains a smaller portion of each dollar in sales as profit compared to its competitors.

PAYX

29.74%

Professional Services Industry

Max: 26.06%
Q3: 13.34%
Median: 7.88%
Q1: 3.50%
Min: -2.93%

PAYX’s Net Profit Margin of 29.74% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Professional Services industry. This demonstrates outstanding operational efficiency and a strong competitive advantage in converting revenue into profit.

ARMK vs. PAYX: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure and Professional Services industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

ARMK

4.44%

Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure Industry

Max: 38.76%
Q3: 21.15%
Median: 14.20%
Q1: 6.43%
Min: -14.56%

ARMK’s Operating Profit Margin of 4.44% is in the lower quartile for the Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.

PAYX

39.01%

Professional Services Industry

Max: 35.84%
Q3: 19.38%
Median: 12.54%
Q1: 7.36%
Min: -5.21%

PAYX’s Operating Profit Margin of 39.01% is exceptionally high, placing it well above the typical range for the Professional Services industry. This demonstrates outstanding efficiency in managing its core operations, which can be a result of strong pricing power or superior cost control.

ARMK vs. PAYX: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure and Professional Services industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	ARMK	PAYX
Return on Equity (TTM)	11.83%	41.38%
Return on Assets (TTM)	2.77%	13.58%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	2.02%	29.74%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	4.44%	39.01%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	8.55%	90.67%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

ARMK

1.29

Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure Industry

Max: 2.68
Q3: 1.62
Median: 1.11
Q1: 0.74
Min: 0.19

ARMK’s Current Ratio of 1.29 aligns with the median group of the Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

PAYX

1.28

Professional Services Industry

Max: 2.45
Q3: 1.65
Median: 1.26
Q1: 1.10
Min: 0.47

PAYX’s Current Ratio of 1.28 aligns with the median group of the Professional Services industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

ARMK vs. PAYX: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure and Professional Services industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

ARMK

2.04

Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure Industry

Max: 9.88
Q3: 4.54
Median: 1.52
Q1: 0.27
Min: 0.00

ARMK’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 2.04 is typical for the Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

PAYX

1.20

Professional Services Industry

Max: 2.63
Q3: 1.44
Median: 0.91
Q1: 0.49
Min: 0.00

PAYX’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.20 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.

ARMK vs. PAYX: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure and Professional Services industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

ARMK

2.07

Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure Industry

Max: 26.88
Q3: 11.95
Median: 3.87
Q1: 1.19
Min: -11.84

ARMK’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 2.07 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

PAYX

55.47

Professional Services Industry

Max: 39.67
Q3: 20.05
Median: 11.07
Q1: 5.36
Min: -2.22

With an Interest Coverage Ratio of 55.47, PAYX demonstrates a superior capacity to service its debt, placing it well above the typical range for the Professional Services industry. This stems from either robust earnings or a conservative debt load.

ARMK vs. PAYX: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure and Professional Services industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	ARMK	PAYX
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.29	1.28
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	1.06	1.22
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	2.04	1.20
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	2.07	55.47

Growth

Revenue Growth

ARMK vs. PAYX: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

ARMK vs. PAYX: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

ARMK

1.04%

Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure Industry

Max: 5.88%
Q3: 2.37%
Median: 0.68%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

ARMK’s Dividend Yield of 1.04% is consistent with its peers in the Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

PAYX

2.88%

Professional Services Industry

Max: 5.28%
Q3: 2.51%
Median: 1.63%
Q1: 0.62%
Min: 0.00%

With a Dividend Yield of 2.88%, PAYX offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Professional Services industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.

ARMK vs. PAYX: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure and Professional Services industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

ARMK

29.94%

Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure Industry

Max: 127.31%
Q3: 56.79%
Median: 19.58%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

ARMK’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 29.94% is within the typical range for the Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

PAYX

87.40%

Professional Services Industry

Max: 109.23%
Q3: 64.39%
Median: 47.00%
Q1: 20.35%
Min: 0.00%

PAYX’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 87.40% is in the upper quartile for the Professional 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.

ARMK vs. PAYX: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure and Professional Services industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	ARMK	PAYX
Dividend Yield (TTM)	1.04%	2.88%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	29.94%	87.40%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

ARMK

28.69

Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure Industry

Max: 59.44
Q3: 33.98
Median: 22.25
Q1: 15.53
Min: 7.61

ARMK’s P/E Ratio of 28.69 is within the middle range for the Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

PAYX

30.36

Professional Services Industry

Max: 49.59
Q3: 36.59
Median: 28.13
Q1: 18.55
Min: 10.07

PAYX’s P/E Ratio of 30.36 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.

ARMK vs. PAYX: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure and Professional Services industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

ARMK

0.58

Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure Industry

Max: 7.74
Q3: 3.88
Median: 2.05
Q1: 1.19
Min: 0.17

In the lower quartile for the Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure industry, ARMK’s P/S Ratio of 0.58 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.

PAYX

9.03

Professional Services Industry

Max: 9.54
Q3: 5.11
Median: 2.10
Q1: 0.75
Min: 0.11

PAYX’s P/S Ratio of 9.03 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.

ARMK vs. PAYX: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure and Professional Services industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

ARMK

3.58

Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure Industry

Max: 20.90
Q3: 9.78
Median: 4.29
Q1: 2.22
Min: 0.47

ARMK’s P/B Ratio of 3.58 is within the conventional range for the Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure 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.

PAYX

13.75

Professional Services Industry

Max: 13.75
Q3: 8.87
Median: 4.35
Q1: 2.43
Min: 0.54

PAYX’s P/B Ratio of 13.75 is in the upper tier for the Professional Services industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.

ARMK vs. PAYX: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure and Professional Services industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	ARMK	PAYX
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	28.69	30.36
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	0.58	9.03
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	3.58	13.75
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	9.63	29.96