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Automatic Data Processing

ADPAbove valueExpectations · demanding

Held by 4 superinvestors.

Price$281.39
Holders4
Total value$744.3M

SEC 10-K · fundamentals

Business quality

as of 2026-06-30
Revenue growth
+6.7%
Net margin
20.1%
ROE
73.2%
FCF margin
—
Revenue $15.01B → $21.95B · 6y
What makes a business high quality

Valuation · value band

Above fair value

$160/ sh · growth-anchored intrinsic value
margin of safety
fair value
above fair value
$281
cheaperpricier

Zero-growth floor

$91

Central IV

$160

Optimistic top

$197

Automatic Data Processing (ADP): A conservative value band $91–$197 / sh (zero-growth floor to growth-capped optimistic top); central read about $160. Today’s price sits above that band (price $281 as of 2026-08-26).

The middle figure is the main read. The right end is the optimistic case under the same conservative caps — not an absolute ceiling.

Revenue growth 7% (lower of historical trend and fundamental cap, capped by moat) · moat 10 yr · discount 10.6% · Zero-growth downside $91

Price as of 2026-08-26 · yahoo · DGS10 4.7% @ 2026-08-26.

Method & numbers

Operating income is not reported separately (e.g. banks, insurers, and some diversified issuers), so earnings power is shown via the owner-earnings lens only; the unlevered NOPAT lens does not apply.

Model cautions

  • Growth nearly matches the discount rate — the estimate is sensitive to assumptions.

A conservative intrinsic-value band (zero-growth floor to growth-capped DCF) plus a tangible asset floor — not investment advice, not a buy/sell signal, and not a price target.

Owner-earnings DCF $99.10 – $197.31 · Greenwald zero-growth $110.69 · zero-growth base $110.69 · reproduction $9.88

Moat Franchise (moat) · terminal value 50% of present value · owner-earnings yield 4% vs 10Y 4.7%.

Graham earnings-power value (normalized NOPAT)

Operating income is not reported separately (e.g. banks, insurers, and some diversified issuers), so earnings power is shown via the owner-earnings lens only; the unlevered NOPAT lens does not apply.

Normalized NOPAT from operating margin — not applicable when operating income is not reported separately. Unlevered (pre-interest, attributable to all capital). Capitalized at the 9–11% rate band (read as a WACC proxy). Enterprise → equity bridge (+ cash − total debt) — not applied (lens not assessable).

Years: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021

Buffett owner-earnings value$90.56 – $110.69 / sh

Owner earnings = average net income + average D&A − maintenance capex (zero-growth floor; no ΔNWC). Levered (starts from net income, already after interest — an equity-holder stream). Capitalized at the 9–11% rate band (read as a cost-of-equity proxy). No enterprise→equity bridge: the capitalized result is already equity value (subtracting debt would double-count interest).

Years: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021

v1 simplifications: Maintenance capex or D&A unavailable → degraded to normalized net income (= average net income over the years shown). One-time items are not separately normalized (multi-year averaging smooths them partially). Share-based compensation is left as a real expense (not added back); see the SBC/OE disclosure. Capitalized at the 9–11% band as a cost-of-equity proxy; no leverage premium applied (net cash or debt within the no-charge range).

Reproduction value = tangible net assets $1.09B + capitalized R&D $2.89B（FY 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021） = $9.88 / sh. Reproduction value = tangible net assets (equity − goodwill − intangibles) + capitalized R&D (5y straight-line), ÷ diluted shares.

Moat reading: Franchise test compares earnings power (EPV) against reproduction value on both AV_conservative (tangible + capitalized R&D) and AV_reproduction (conservative + acquired-reset proxy). Both must clear the franchise multiple for a moat signal; near it, a commodity; below it, value destruction. A directional reading, not a verdict.

Assumes a narrow moat · competitive-advantage period ≈ 10 years.

Growth value not assessable — Operating income is not available across the window, so ROIIC / growth value cannot be computed.

Window FY 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 · discount band 9%–11% · normalized tax 21% (Average effective tax rate over 5 year(s), capped at the statutory 21%.) · diluted shares.

Owner-earnings DCF: growth g₁ 7% · OE FY 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 · Discount band: 9.16%–12.00% (DGS10 +4.5% to a 12% strict end, as of 2026-08-26). No enterprise→equity bridge: owner earnings already flow to shareholders (post-interest), so no net cash is added and no debt subtracted — matching the engine owner-earnings lamp.

What the price is betting

Today's price pencils in about 17.6% a year in owner-earnings for the next few years. Revenue actually grew 7.8% a year.

The market wants it well ahead of its own track record.

How to read intrinsic value

SEC 13F · holders

Superinvestors Holding This Security

4 holders · $744.3M combined · this quarter +1 opened / -0 exited

This quarter1 opened2 added1 trimmed
Holders 3 → 4 · last 8q

SEC 13F · notes

Written summary

Automatic Data Processing (ADP) is held by 4 of the superinvestors tracked on Compounder, with a combined $744.3M in reported 13F value. The largest position belongs to Terry Smith, where it makes up 4.3% of the portfolio.

Other notable holders by value include François Rochon (4.9% of its book), David Katz (1.0% of its book) and Ray Dalio (0.0% of its book).

Over the latest quarter, 1 of the tracked filers opened a new position in ADP, 2 added to existing ones, 1 trimmed, and 0 sold out entirely.

Holder counts and values reflect the most recent SEC Form 13F filings, through the quarter ended 2026-06-30. Source: SEC EDGAR. A 13F shows only long US-listed positions and can lag the real portfolio by up to 45 days, so this is disclosed long ownership, not a complete picture.

How to read a 13F

SEC 13F · co-ownership

Also held by these investors

Investors holding Automatic Data Processing (ADP) also commonly hold →

ADP's price is not below its conservative value band. See current strike-zone stocks

Also on

Sources· SEC EDGAR 13F as of 2026-06-30 · filed 2026-08-14

Educational data only — not investment advice. 13F positions are self-reported and can lag up to 45 days.

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