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PAYC vs. WCN: Paycom Software vs. Waste Connections Stock Comparison

How do Paycom Software (PAYC) and Waste Connections (WCN) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Paycom Software (PAYC) and Waste Connections (WCN) both fall under the Commercial & Professional Services industry group, but PAYC is classified in Professional Services while WCN is classified in Commercial Services & Supplies.

Company profile comparison for Paycom Software (PAYC) and Waste Connections (WCN)
Profile ItemPAYCWCN
NamePaycom Software, Inc.Waste Connections, Inc.
Country/RegionUnited StatesCanada
GICS SectorIndustrialsIndustrials
GICS Industry GroupCommercial & Professional ServicesCommercial & Professional Services
GICS IndustryProfessional ServicesCommercial Services & Supplies
GICS Sub-IndustryHuman Resource & Employment ServicesEnvironmental & Facilities Services
Market Capitalization10.69 billion USD47.31 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateApril 15, 2014May 22, 1998
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

PAYC
WCN
GSPC
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Paycom Software (PAYC) vs. Waste Connections (WCN), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Paycom Software (PAYC) and Waste Connections (WCN). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Paycom Software (PAYC) and Waste Connections (WCN). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Paycom Software (PAYC) and Waste Connections (WCN)
MetricPAYCWCN
Total Return (1Y)49.84%15.20%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)13.71%14.07%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)-13.38%7.98%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

PAYC
WCN
GSPC
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Paycom Software (PAYC) vs. Waste Connections (WCN), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Paycom Software (PAYC) and Waste Connections (WCN). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Paycom Software (PAYC) and Waste Connections (WCN)
MetricPAYCWCN
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)47.19%25.62%
Beta (5Y)0.750.41
Max Drawdown (5Y)-77.09%-24.90%
Avg. Volume (3M)702.61K1.56M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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PAYC and WCN are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Paycom Software (PAYC) and Waste Connections (WCN)
MetricPAYCWCN
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.970.43
Sortino Ratio (1Y)1.660.69

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Paycom Software (PAYC) at 42.22% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Waste Connections (WCN) at 14.19% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for PAYC.

PAYC

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

42.22%

Max
47.06%
PAYC
42.22%
Q3
25.43%
Median
14.11%
Q1
3.92%
Min
-20.15%

WCN

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

14.19%

Max
47.06%
Q3
25.43%
WCN
14.19%
Median
14.11%
Q1
3.92%
Min
-20.15%
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Paycom Software (PAYC) vs. Waste Connections (WCN): A comparison of their ROE against the Commercial & Professional Services industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

For every dollar of sales, both Paycom Software (PAYC) at 23.28% and Waste Connections (WCN) at 11.40% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.

PAYC

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

23.28%

PAYC
23.28%
Max
23.28%
Q3
11.35%
Median
5.65%
Q1
0.87%
Min
-8.60%

WCN

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

11.40%

Max
23.28%
WCN
11.40%
Q3
11.35%
Median
5.65%
Q1
0.87%
Min
-8.60%
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Paycom Software (PAYC) vs. Waste Connections (WCN): A comparison of their net margin against the Commercial & Professional Services industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Paycom Software (PAYC) at 38.03% and Waste Connections (WCN) at 20.77% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

PAYC

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

38.03%

Max
38.50%
PAYC
38.03%
Q3
18.84%
Median
10.40%
Q1
5.59%
Min
-12.00%

WCN

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

20.77%

Max
38.50%
WCN
20.77%
Q3
18.84%
Median
10.40%
Q1
5.59%
Min
-12.00%
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Paycom Software (PAYC) vs. Waste Connections (WCN): A comparison of their operating margin against the Commercial & Professional Services industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Paycom Software (PAYC) and Waste Connections (WCN)
MetricPAYCWCN
ROE (TTM)42.22%14.19%
ROA (TTM)8.98%5.68%
Net Margin (TTM)23.28%11.40%
Operating Margin (TTM)38.03%20.77%
Gross Margin (TTM)88.39%42.62%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Paycom Software (PAYC) at 8.95% and Waste Connections (WCN) at 6.14% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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Paycom Software (PAYC) vs. Waste Connections (WCN): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Waste Connections (WCN) at 74.48% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Paycom Software (PAYC) at -9.42% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for WCN.

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Paycom Software (PAYC) vs. Waste Connections (WCN): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Paycom Software (PAYC) and Waste Connections (WCN)
MetricPAYCWCN
Revenue Growth (YoY)8.95%6.14%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)14.27%9.49%
EPS Growth (YoY)-9.42%74.48%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)18.63%8.78%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Paycom Software (PAYC) at 1.06 and Waste Connections (WCN) at 0.67 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.

PAYC

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

1.06

Max
3.63
Q3
2.14
Median
1.55
Q1
1.09
PAYC
1.06
Min
0.45

WCN

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

0.67

Max
3.63
Q3
2.14
Median
1.55
Q1
1.09
WCN
0.67
Min
0.45
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Paycom Software (PAYC) vs. Waste Connections (WCN): A comparison of their current ratio against the Commercial & Professional Services industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Paycom Software (PAYC) at 1.16 and Waste Connections (WCN) at 1.24 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

PAYC

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

1.16

Max
2.37
Q3
1.25
PAYC
1.16
Median
0.88
Q1
0.35
Min
0.00

WCN

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

1.24

Max
2.37
Q3
1.25
WCN
1.24
Median
0.88
Q1
0.35
Min
0.00
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Paycom Software (PAYC) vs. Waste Connections (WCN): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Commercial & Professional Services industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Paycom Software (PAYC) and Waste Connections (WCN)
MetricPAYCWCN
Current Ratio (MRQ)1.060.67
Debt / Equity (MRQ)1.161.24
Net Debt / EBITDA0.753.01

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Paycom Software (PAYC) at 0.60% and Waste Connections (WCN) at 0.73% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.

PAYC

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

0.60%

Max
4.33%
Q3
1.80%
Median
0.60%
PAYC
0.60%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

WCN

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

0.73%

Max
4.33%
Q3
1.80%
WCN
0.73%
Median
0.60%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Paycom Software (PAYC) vs. Waste Connections (WCN): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Commercial & Professional Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Paycom Software (PAYC) at 14.34% and Waste Connections (WCN) at 31.39% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.

PAYC

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

14.34%

Max
99.58%
Q3
41.99%
Median
17.27%
PAYC
14.34%
Q1
0.00%
Min
-17.94%

WCN

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

31.39%

Max
99.58%
Q3
41.99%
WCN
31.39%
Median
17.27%
Q1
0.00%
Min
-17.94%
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Paycom Software (PAYC) vs. Waste Connections (WCN): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Commercial & Professional Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Paycom Software (PAYC) and Waste Connections (WCN)
MetricPAYCWCN
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.60%0.73%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)14.34%31.39%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Paycom Software (PAYC) at 22.69 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Waste Connections (WCN) at 42.39 sits in the richer quartile — WCN needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.

PAYC

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

22.69

Max
49.47
Q3
33.76
Median
24.16
PAYC
22.69
Q1
16.01
Min
1.89

WCN

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

42.39

Max
49.47
WCN
42.39
Q3
33.76
Median
24.16
Q1
16.01
Min
1.89
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Paycom Software (PAYC) vs. Waste Connections (WCN): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Commercial & Professional Services industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Both Paycom Software (PAYC) at 4.88 and Waste Connections (WCN) at 4.76 command a richer price per dollar of sales than most peers, sitting in the upper P/S ratio quartile of their industries.

PAYC

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

4.88

Max
7.17
PAYC
4.88
Q3
3.35
Median
1.33
Q1
0.69
Min
0.11

WCN

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

4.76

Max
7.17
WCN
4.76
Q3
3.35
Median
1.33
Q1
0.69
Min
0.11
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Paycom Software (PAYC) vs. Waste Connections (WCN): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Commercial & Professional Services industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Waste Connections (WCN) at 6.00 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Paycom Software (PAYC) at 14.62 prices above its benchmark range — PAYC looks rich relative to book.

PAYC

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

14.62

PAYC
14.62
Max
11.25
Q3
6.08
Median
2.92
Q1
1.55
Min
-2.78

WCN

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

6.00

Max
11.25
Q3
6.08
WCN
6.00
Median
2.92
Q1
1.55
Min
-2.78
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Paycom Software (PAYC) vs. Waste Connections (WCN): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Commercial & Professional Services industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Paycom Software (PAYC) and Waste Connections (WCN)
MetricPAYCWCN
P/E Ratio (TTM)22.6942.39
P/S Ratio (TTM)4.884.76
P/B Ratio (MRQ)14.626.00
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)5.69%2.28%