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

Updated on August 27, 2025

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

Company Profile

Symbol	FER	PAYX
Company Name	Ferrovial SE	Paychex, Inc.
Country	Netherlands	United States
GICS Sector	Industrials	Industrials
GICS Industry	Construction & Engineering	Professional Services
Market Capitalization	39.21 billion USD	49.89 billion USD
Exchange	NasdaqGS	NasdaqGS
Listing Date	August 13, 2012	August 26, 1983
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of FER 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.

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

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	FER	PAYX
5-Day Price Return	1.39%	-0.37%
13-Week Price Return	3.28%	-11.32%
26-Week Price Return	9.21%	-7.69%
52-Week Price Return	29.97%	8.30%
Month-to-Date Return	5.95%	-4.04%
Year-to-Date Return	17.17%	-1.23%
10-Day Avg. Volume	0.55M	2.15M
3-Month Avg. Volume	0.66M	2.13M
3-Month Volatility	12.05%	26.36%
Beta	0.92	0.95

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

FER

56.21%

Construction & Engineering Industry

Max: 29.61%
Q3: 17.18%
Median: 10.42%
Q1: 8.10%
Min: -0.10%

FER’s Return on Equity of 56.21% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Construction & Engineering industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.

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.

FER vs. PAYX: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Construction & Engineering and Professional Services industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

FER

35.99%

Construction & Engineering Industry

Max: 11.14%
Q3: 6.17%
Median: 3.85%
Q1: 2.40%
Min: -0.05%

FER’s Net Profit Margin of 35.99% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Construction & Engineering industry. This demonstrates outstanding operational efficiency and a strong competitive advantage in converting revenue into profit.

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.

FER vs. PAYX: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Construction & Engineering and Professional Services industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

FER

34.91%

Construction & Engineering Industry

Max: 17.56%
Q3: 9.36%
Median: 5.46%
Q1: 3.47%
Min: -1.93%

FER’s Operating Profit Margin of 34.91% is exceptionally high, placing it well above the typical range for the Construction & Engineering industry. This demonstrates outstanding efficiency in managing its core operations, which can be a result of strong pricing power or superior cost control.

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.

FER vs. PAYX: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Construction & Engineering and Professional Services industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	FER	PAYX
Return on Equity (TTM)	56.21%	41.38%
Return on Assets (TTM)	12.11%	13.58%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	35.99%	29.74%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	34.91%	39.01%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	87.83%	90.67%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

FER

0.94

Construction & Engineering Industry

Max: 1.98
Q3: 1.53
Median: 1.24
Q1: 1.05
Min: 0.66

FER’s Current Ratio of 0.94 falls into the lower quartile for the Construction & Engineering industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

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.

FER vs. PAYX: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Construction & Engineering and Professional Services industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

FER

1.95

Construction & Engineering Industry

Max: 2.49
Q3: 1.19
Median: 0.63
Q1: 0.29
Min: 0.00

FER’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Construction & Engineering industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.95. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.

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.

FER vs. PAYX: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Construction & Engineering and Professional Services industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

FER

9.20

Construction & Engineering Industry

Max: 23.59
Q3: 14.49
Median: 8.20
Q1: 5.26
Min: -6.49

FER’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 9.20 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Construction & Engineering 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.

FER vs. PAYX: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Construction & Engineering and Professional Services industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	FER	PAYX
Current Ratio (MRQ)	0.94	1.28
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	0.86	1.22
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	1.95	1.20
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	9.20	55.47

Growth

Revenue Growth

FER 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

FER 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)

FER

0.36%

Construction & Engineering Industry

Max: 6.28%
Q3: 3.25%
Median: 2.02%
Q1: 0.23%
Min: 0.00%

FER’s Dividend Yield of 0.36% is consistent with its peers in the Construction & Engineering 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.

FER vs. PAYX: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Construction & Engineering and Professional Services industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

FER

3.63%

Construction & Engineering Industry

Max: 139.17%
Q3: 69.47%
Median: 40.99%
Q1: 10.51%
Min: 0.00%

FER’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 3.63% is in the lower quartile for the Construction & Engineering industry. This suggests a conservative dividend policy, with a strategic focus on reinvesting profits for future growth.

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.

FER vs. PAYX: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Construction & Engineering and Professional Services industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	FER	PAYX
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.36%	2.88%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	3.63%	87.40%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

FER

10.03

Construction & Engineering Industry

Max: 36.96
Q3: 24.81
Median: 15.45
Q1: 12.51
Min: 2.74

In the lower quartile for the Construction & Engineering industry, FER’s P/E Ratio of 10.03 suggests the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers, potentially presenting an attractive entry point for investors.

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.

FER vs. PAYX: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Construction & Engineering and Professional Services industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

FER

3.61

Construction & Engineering Industry

Max: 3.22
Q3: 1.63
Median: 0.61
Q1: 0.48
Min: 0.11

With a P/S Ratio of 3.61, FER trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Construction & Engineering industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.

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.

FER vs. PAYX: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Construction & Engineering and Professional Services industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

FER

5.63

Construction & Engineering Industry

Max: 5.74
Q3: 3.33
Median: 1.49
Q1: 1.20
Min: 0.23

FER’s P/B Ratio of 5.63 is in the upper tier for the Construction & Engineering 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.

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.

FER vs. PAYX: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Construction & Engineering and Professional Services industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	FER	PAYX
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	10.03	30.36
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	3.61	9.03
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	5.63	13.75
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	29.43	29.96