Automatic Data Processing, Inc. engages in the provision of cloud-based human capital management (HCM) solutions worldwide. It operates in two segments, Employer Services and Professional Employer Organization (PEO). The Employer Services segment offers strategic, cloud-based platforms, and human resources (HR) outsourcing solutions. This segment's offerings include RUN Powered by ADP, a software platform for small business payroll, HR management, and tax compliance administration; ADP Workforce Now, a HCM solution used across mid-sized and large businesses to manage employees; and ADP Vantage HCM, a solution for HR management, benefits administration, payroll services, time and attendance management, and talent management. The PEO Services segment provides HR and employment administration outsourcing solutions under ADP TotalSource name to businesses through a co-employment model. The segment also provides employee benefits, protection and compliance, talent engagement, expertise, comprehensive outsourcing, and recruitment process outsourcing services. The company was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Roseland, New Jersey.

ADP выглядит как качественный, но уже дорогой бизнес: операционная рентабельность и доходность капитала очень сильные, однако часть мультипликаторов заметно выше отраслевых уровней. P/E ниже медианы отрасли на 20.1%, что поддерживает оценку, но P/S и P/B существенно выше — рынок платит премию за стабильность, маржинальность и предсказуемость денежных потоков. P/FCF находится около медианы, поэтому свободный денежный поток не выглядит источником дополнительного апсайда в оценке. Динамика P/S и P/B за последние периоды снижается, что позитивно, но даже после этого они остаются высокими, поэтому запас переоценки полностью не снят. Маржа валовой прибыли около 46%, операционная маржа 26.5% и чистая маржа 20.1% — это очень сильный профиль для отрасли, и он объясняет премию к рынку. ROE 68.7%, ROI 42.2% и ROA 6.8% также существенно выше медианы, хотя ROA немного просел относительно более ранних значений, что говорит о зрелости бизнеса. Выручка, валовая прибыль, EBITDA, операционная и чистая прибыль в целом растут по годам, что подтверждает устойчивость модели и поддерживает фундаментальную оценку. При этом ликвидность слабая: quick ratio равен нулю, current ratio лишь 1.04 и ниже отраслевой медианы, а cash on hand заметно сократился с пиковых уровней, что добавляет осторожности. Долговая нагрузка умеренная, но debt/equity выше медианы, а долгосрочный долг вырос по сравнению с ранними периодами, поэтому баланс нельзя назвать безрисковым. Дивидендная доходность выросла до 0.75%, что приятно для акционеров, но сама по себе она слишком мала, чтобы сильно поддержать переоценку. В сумме фундаментал у ADP сильный, но текущая цена уже учитывает значительную часть качества бизнеса, поэтому целесообразна лишь умеренная консервативная отрицательная корректировка прогноза.

Automatic Data Processing, Inc.

Сильный индекс, значительно упал. Быки в растерянности.

Strong index, significantly down. The bulls are confused.

Сильный индекс, без изменений. Рынок не поддерживает быков.

Strong index, flat. The market does not support the bulls.

Слабый индекс, незначительно вырос

ADP демонстрирует сильную маржу и высокую доходность капитала, но дорог по P/S и P/B, при слабой ликвидности и умеренно растущем долге.

Looking at the universe of stocks we cover at Dividend Channel, on 6/12/26, Automatic Data Processing Inc. (Symbol: ADP) will trade ex-dividend, for its quarterly dividend of $1.70, payable on 7/1/26. As a percentage of ADP's recent stock price of $230.06, this dividend works out to approximately 0.74%, so look for shares of Automatic Data Processing Inc. to trade 0.74% lower — all else being equal — when ADP shares open for trading on 6/12/26.
In general, dividends are not always predictable; but looking at the history above can help in judging whether the most recent dividend from ADP is likely to continue, and whether the current estimated yield of 2.96% on annualized basis is a reasonable expectation of annual yield going forward. The chart below shows the one year performance of ADP shares, versus its 200 day moving average:
Looking at the chart above, ADP's low point in its 52 week range is $188.16 per share, with $315.98 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $231.16.
According to the ETF Finder at ETF Channel, ADP makes up 4.55% of the Invesco QQQ Low Volatility ETF (Symbol: QQLV) which is trading higher by about 1.1% on the day Wednesday. (see other ETFs holding ADP).
In Wednesday trading, Automatic Data Processing Inc. shares are currently down about 0.5% on the day.
Click here to learn which 25 S.A.F.E. dividend stocks should be on your radar screen »
Further ADP Research:
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Automatic Data Processing About To Put More Money In Your Pocket (ADP)

Docusign DOCU reported impressive first-quarter fiscal 2027 results, with both earnings and revenues beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate, driven by continued adoption of its Intelligent Agreement Management (IAM) platform and solid profitability.
The company’s first-quarter fiscal 2027 adjusted earnings of $1.09 per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 9% and increased 21.1% year over year. Revenues of $830.2 million surpassed the consensus estimate by 0.7% and rose 8.7% year over year.
However, the better-than-expected results failed to impress the market, as the stock has declined 7.2% since the earnings release on June 4, due to skepticism among shareholders.
Docusign Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
DOCU Sees Broad-Based Revenue Growth
First-quarter revenues reached $830.2 million, driven by steady customer demand and approximately 1.6 percentage points of favorable foreign-exchange impact. International markets remained an important growth driver, with overseas operations accounting for 31% of total revenues.
Management noted that customer activity remained healthy across the business. Total customer count approached 1.9 million, while envelope volume continued to grow year over year. Consumption trends improved across most customer segments and vertical markets, supporting management’s confidence in accelerating annual recurring revenue (ARR) growth during fiscal 2027.
Docusign Gains Traction With IAM Platform
IAM continued emerging as Docusign’s primary growth initiative. The company reported that 40,000 customers invested in the platform and IAM bookings in North American enterprise accounts grew faster than in any other customer segment during this quarter.
The company expanded the platform’s capabilities through new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered offerings under its Iris agreement AI engine. New contract review agents, workflow automation tools and integrations with platforms such as Anthropic Claude, OpenAI ChatGPT, Salesforce, Coupa and Thomson Reuters are intended to deepen customer engagement and strengthen Docusign’s competitive position in agreement management.
A notable highlight was IAM’s growing contribution to the business in this quarter. The platform represented 12.6% of total ARR, up from 10.8% at the end of the prior quarter, reflecting rising customer adoption.
DOCU Delivers Strong Profitability
Profitability remained a key strength. Non-GAAP operating income rose 18% year over year to $266 million, while operating margin expanded 250 basis points to 32%. Results benefited from higher revenues, disciplined spending, increased capitalization of development costs and an insurance-related legal reimbursement.
Non-GAAP gross margin was 81.5% compared with 82.3% in the year-earlier period. Although cloud migration investments continued to pressure margins modestly, results came in ahead of management’s expectations.
Docusign Generates Robust Cash Flow
The company continued to generate strong cash flow. Net cash provided by operating activities totaled $321.7 million compared with $251.4 million in the prior-year quarter. Free cash flow increased to $289.4 million from $227.8 million a year earlier.
Docusign ended the quarter with approximately $1 billion in cash, cash equivalents and investments with no debt. The company repurchased $317.5 million of stock during the quarter, marking the largest quarterly buyback in its history. Management indicated that capital returns remain a priority, with $2.4 billion remaining under its share repurchase authorization at quarter-end.
DOCU Raises Confidence With Fiscal 2027 Outlook
For the second quarter of fiscal 2027, Docusign expects revenues to be between $865 million and $869 million, with the midpoint of $867 million being above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $866.4 million. The company projects non-GAAP gross margin of 81.5% to 81.7% and non-GAAP operating margin of 29.7% to 30.2%.
For fiscal 2027, management reaffirmed revenue guidance of $3.49-$3.502 billion. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the same is pegged at $3.49 billion. DOCU expects ARR growth to be in the range of 8.25% to 8.75%. IAM is projected to represent approximately 18% of total ARR by year-end, implying more than $600 million in ARR from the platform. The company also raised its full-year non-GAAP operating margin outlook to 30.5-31.0%, underscoring confidence in growth and operating efficiency.
Currently, Docusign carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Recent Earnings Snapshots
Accenture plc ACN reported impressive second-quarter fiscal 2026 results.
ACN’s earnings were $2.93 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.5%. The metric increased 3.9% from the year-ago quarter. Total revenues of $18 billion topped the consensus estimate by 1.2% and rose 8.3% on a year-over-year basis.
Automatic Data Processing, Inc. ADP reported impressive third-quarter fiscal 2026 results, with earnings and revenues outpacing the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
ADP’s earnings per share of $3.37 beat the consensus estimate by 2.7% and increased 10.1% from the year-ago quarter. Total revenues of $5.94 billion surpassed the consensus estimate by 1.4% and grew 7% on a year-over-year basis.
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The AI revolution has already minted millionaires. But the stocks everyone knows about aren't likely to keep delivering the biggest profits. AI’s second wave is moving from infrastructure to implementation and these companies are at the forefront of this transition, positioned to become what Amazon and Google were to the internet era.
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Docusign Declines 7.2% Since Beating Q1 Earnings & Revenue Estimates

U.S. stocks ended lower on Wednesday, retreating from their record highs, as fresh tensions in the Middle East dented investors’ confidence and a surge in global oil prices reignited fears of inflation ticking higher. All three major indexes ended in negative territory.
How Did the Benchmarks Perform?
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) plunged 1.2%, or 620.72 points, to finish at 50,687.07 points.
The S&P 500 declined 0.7%, or 56.06 points, to close at 7,553.72 points. Communication services and financial stocks were the worst performers.
The Communication Services Select Sector SPDR (XLC) fell 1.3%. The Financials Select Sector SPDR (XLF) lost 0.6%. Seven of the 11 sectors of the benchmark index ended in negative territory.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq slid 0.9%, or 239.92 points, to end at 26,853.98 points.
The fear gauge, CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), was up 1.84% to 16.06. Decliners outnumbered advancers on the NYSE by a 3.04-to-1 ratio. On the Nasdaq, a 2.59-1 ratio favored declining issues. A total of 19.81 billion shares were traded on Wednesday, lower than the last 20-session average of 20.12 billion.
On the Nasdaq, there were 90 new highs and 137 new lows. On the S&P 500, there were 33 new 52-week highs and 19 new lows.
Middle East Tensions Continue, Oil Prices Surge
Oil prices surged on Wednesday as Middle East tensions grew after the United States and Iran exchanged airstrikes. Following the airstrikes, President Donald Trump said that Iran has agreed to discontinue their nuclear weapons program, but “they can change their mind.”
West Texas Intermediate futures jumped 2.41% to settle at $96.02 per barrel after this. A day earlier, Kuwait said that its air defense systems were intercepting hostile targets, suggesting that the conflict in the Middle East is far from over.
Concerns grew that a surge in oil prices owing to the ongoing Iran war could lift inflation higher. Treasury yields also jumped following this. The 10-year Treasury yield rose to nearly 4.5%.
Markets are now pricing in a 41.1% chance of the Federal Reserve hiking interest rates by a quarter percentage point by the end of this year, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.
Also, a decline in artificial intelligence stocks weighed on the broader market. Shares of Oracle Corporation (ORCL) plunged 5.8%, while NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) declined 3.6%. Oracle has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Economic Data
Private payrolls increased more than expected in May. According to the ADP (ADP) national employment report, the U.S. economy added 122,000 new private jobs in May, surpassing the consensus estimate of 117,000 jobs.
A separate report showed that the Institute for Supply Management’s non-manufacturing purchasing managers index jumped to 54.5 in May from 53.6 in the prior month.
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The AI revolution has already minted millionaires. But the stocks everyone knows about aren't likely to keep delivering the biggest profits. AI’s second wave is moving from infrastructure to implementation and these companies are at the forefront of this transition, positioned to become what Amazon and Google were to the internet era.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Stock Market News for Jun 4, 2026

A month has gone by since the last earnings report for Pinterest (PINS). Shares have lost about 6.3% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.
But investors have to be wondering, will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Pinterest due for a breakout? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important catalysts.
Pinterest Q1 Earnings Beat Estimates on Strong Revenue Growth
Pinterest reported first-quarter 2026 earnings of 27 cents per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 22 cents by 22.73%. The bottom line increased from the year-ago quarter’s non-GAAP earnings of 23 cents per share.
Revenues of $1.01 billion rose 18% year over year and surpassed the consensus mark of $964 million by 8.47%. Strength in AI-driven ad performance and improving advertiser demand aided results. Global monthly active users (MAUs) increased 11% to 631 million, reflecting sustained platform engagement growth.
PINS Sees Strong User Growth and Engagement Trends
Pinterest ended the quarter with 631 million global MAUs, up 11% year over year, marking continued double-digit expansion. Growth was broad-based across regions, with Rest of World MAUs rising 15%, Europe up 7% and the United States and Canada increasing 4%.
User engagement remained robust, supported by ongoing improvements in personalization and visual discovery. The company highlighted that more than 80 billion searches occur monthly on the platform, with roughly half tied to commercial intent, reinforcing Pinterest’s positioning as a discovery-led shopping platform.
Pinterest Revenue Growth Driven by Ads and AI
Pinterest generated revenues of $1.008 billion, up 18% year over year. Growth was driven primarily by improvements in conversion-focused advertising and continued momentum in retail and emerging verticals such as financial services.
Geographically, U.S. and Canada revenues rose 13% to $750 million, while Europe revenues increased 27% to $186 million. Rest of World revenues surged 59% to $72 million, highlighting strong international traction despite ongoing monetization gaps.
Ad impressions grew 24% year over year, although pricing declined 5%, reflecting mix shifts and prior-year comparisons. Improvements in AI-driven bidding and targeting partially offset pressure from large retail advertisers later in the quarter.
PINS Expands AI Capabilities and Ad Platform
Pinterest continued to deepen its AI capabilities, which remain central to its growth strategy. The company’s proprietary models, including its Taste Graph and generative retrieval system, enhanced personalization and search relevance, driving higher engagement and advertiser performance.
Adoption of Pinterest Performance+, its AI-powered ad suite, gained traction, with approximately 30% of lower-funnel revenue now flowing through these campaigns. Advertisers using these tools reported improved return on ad spend and higher conversion rates, underscoring the platform’s growing effectiveness.
Additionally, the acquisition of tvScientific expanded Pinterest’s reach into connected TV advertising, enabling advertisers to leverage PINS’ audience data beyond its platform and unlocking incremental revenue opportunities.
Pinterest Margins Improve on Strong Revenue Flow-Through
Pinterest reported adjusted EBITDA of $207 million, up 20% year over year, with a margin of 20%, reflecting modest expansion from the prior year.
Cost of revenue increased 20% to $232 million, driven by higher infrastructure investments to support user growth and AI initiatives. Non-GAAP operating expenses rose 16% to $574 million, primarily due to increased spending in sales, marketing and research and development.
Despite higher expenses, stronger revenue flow-through and cost discipline supported profitability improvements during the quarter.
PINS Strengthens Cash Flow and Capital Allocation
Pinterest generated $328 million in operating cash flow and $312 million in free cash flow during the quarter.
The company ended the quarter with $1.3 billion in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, maintaining a solid liquidity position.
Pinterest also repurchased approximately $2 billion worth of shares year to date, reducing shares outstanding by about 16% compared with the prior quarter. The company has $2 billion remaining under its $3.5 billion authorization, reflecting confidence in its long-term growth prospects.
Pinterest Outlook Reflects Continued Growth Momentum
For the second quarter of 2026, Pinterest expects revenues between $1.133 billion and $1.153 billion, indicating 14-16% year-over-year growth.
Adjusted EBITDA is projected in the range of $256 million to $276 million. The company expects continued investments in AI, sales and marketing, and infrastructure to support long-term growth, while maintaining a full-year adjusted EBITDA margin target of around 29%.
Management remains focused on expanding monetization, improving measurement capabilities and scaling its global go-to-market strategy to better align revenue growth with strong user engagement trends.
How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?
In the past month, investors have witnessed a upward trend in estimates revision.
The consensus estimate has shifted 9.29% due to these changes.
VGM Scores
At this time, Pinterest has a nice Growth Score of B, however its Momentum Score is doing a bit better with an A. Charting a somewhat similar path, the stock was allocated a score of B on the value side, putting it in the top 40% for this investment strategy.
Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of A. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.
Outlook
Estimates have been broadly trending upward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions looks promising. Interestingly, Pinterest has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.
Performance of an Industry Player
Pinterest belongs to the Zacks Internet - Software industry. Another stock from the same industry, Automatic Data Processing (ADP), has gained 9.8% over the past month. More than a month has passed since the company reported results for the quarter ended March 2026.
ADP reported revenues of $5.94 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +7%. EPS of $3.37 for the same period compares with $3.06 a year ago.
For the current quarter, ADP is expected to post earnings of $2.59 per share, indicating a change of +14.6% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed -1.7% over the last 30 days.
ADP has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) based on the overall direction and magnitude of estimate revisions. Additionally, the stock has a VGM Score of C.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Why Is Pinterest (PINS) Down 6.3% Since Last Earnings Report?

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2026
Jobs Week Coming Up Roses So Far: JOLTS, ADP
Don’t look now, but the labor market in the U.S. has demonstrably improved. Where we had been at historic lows on job openings and under water on private-sector payrolls roughly a year ago, we’re now seeing monthly highs that go back prior to the second Trump administration.
Yesterday’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) report for April spiked to 7.6 job openings, up from 6.88 million expected and the 6.89 million reported. This is the highest monthly tally since November of 2024, after two downward-moving months. Job Quits quieted to 3.0 million in the month.
The biggest change between March and April was in the near-million-job swing among Professional/Business Services positions, which went from -318K in the former month to +668K in the latter. In March, only the Northeast region gained in job opportunities; for April, only the Midwest did not show a gain in new job openings.
Automatic Data Processing ADP released its monthly private-sector payroll report this morning for May, posting +122K new jobs filled outside the government sector — the strongest month for this metric since January of 2025. It improves above the +117K consensus estimate and the downwardly revised +105K for April.
Small businesses bounced back in a big way: +67K new private-sector jobs were gained at firms of fewer than 50 employees. Large companies (over 500 employees) grew by +40K, and medium-sized businesses added +17K. Unsurprisingly, Education/Healthcare led by industry, +57K, followed by renewed strength in Trade/Transportation/Utilities at +36K, +11K at Professional/Business consulting, and +8K in Construction. This last may speak to the spreading out of AI investment to material parts of the economy — the building out of data centers includes plenty of construction work.
“Hiring has been more broad-based,” ADP Chief Economist Nela Richardson said, which bears out these findings. Meanwhile, wage gains in the private sector have been a non-factor: those who stayed in their current jobs made +4.4% more on average, whereas jobs changers averaged +6.6%. This remains a very narrow bar in the relatively short time ADP has kept this metric.
Q1 Earnings at a Glance: M, MDT & More to Come
Retail companies wrap up Q1 earnings season this morning, with department store major Macy’s M reporting its most impressive quarter in years: earnings of $0.13 per share trounced the +$0.02 expected, for a positive earnings surprise of +550%. Revenues also outpaced estimates, but by a more modest +1.28%. Raised guidance helped sentiment, and shares are up around +1% in today’s pre-market. For more on M’s earnings, click here.
Medtronic MDT, the world’s largest medical device company, also beat estimates this morning, for its fiscal Q4. Earnings of $1.55 per share improved over the Zacks consensus by a penny, on revenues of $9.81 billion — its highest growth in a decade — and above expectations by +1.48%. Shares are up +4% at this hour of the pre-market, but still down nearly -20% year to date. For more on MDT’s earnings, click here.
After today’s close, the earnings parade sweeps up some of its final noteworthy reporters. These include semiconductor giant Broadcom AVGO, cybersecurity major CrowdStrike CRWD and Calvin Klein/Tommy Hilfiger parent PVH PVH.
Questions or comments about this article and/or author? Click here>>
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Jobs Week Helps Boost Market Sentiment

Monday, June 1st, 2026
We enter the final month of calendar Q2 at all-time highs on the major stock market indexes. Despite depleting oil reserves based on the now months-long closure of the Strait of Hormuz, inflation seeping towards double the previous Fed’s optimal +2% target and a growing sense that our entire economy is predicated on growth in the AI space.
Pre-market indexes had been in the green in all but the small-cap Russell 2000 index earlier this morning, keeping in stride with where we left off on Friday — at all-time highs for the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq. However, news coming out from Iran suggests the cease-fire between the two warring nations has failed to hold. Airstrikes targeting U.S. bases in the region join a continued surge from Israel into Lebanon as elements keeping a peace accord from being realized, at least as of now.
The cease fire with Iran apparently has failed to hold over the weekend. Oil prices are moving up this morning, as well, with now $92.50 per barrel (/bbl) on the American WTI benchmark, and $96/bbl on international Brent crude. WTI had gotten as high as $117/bbl back in the first week in April, after the war had moved past its first month. Brent had gotten up to $114/bbl in the first week of May.
Looking Ahead to a New Jobs Week
Following inflation reports from CPI, PPI and PCE in the past couple weeks, we now come to a new “Jobs Week,” which begins tomorrow with JOLTS numbers posting a month in arrears. On Wednesday we’ll see fresh ADP ADP private-sector jobs for May, Weekly Jobless Claims on Thursday and the big Employment Situation report on Friday morning from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
JOLTS numbers have cooled below 7 million job openings in the previous two months reported, ADP last month notched its first triple-digit month of private-sector job gains since January of 2025, and Jobless Claims have stayed in an historically low range since early February this year. Non-farm Payrolls are expected to bring their third-straight positive month of jobs growth, which we haven’t seen since February through May of 2025.
We’ve seen wage growth cool somewhat, as well. Depending on how you view this, it can be seen as a positive — healthy labor tallies not adding (as much) to inflation — or negative: with prices rising in goods and services nearly everywhere, wages are no longer keeping up, leading to a “stagflationary” environment. We also see slimming Labor Force Participation and Average Workweek hours; these are other metrics we’ll be paying attention to in Friday’s report.
What to Expect from the Market Today
After the regular trading session opens today, S&P final Manufacturing data for May comes out, as will ISM Manufacturing. Both are expected to remain comfortably above the 50 threshold, which determines growth. (Services numbers for both of these indexes come out Wednesday morning.) Also, Construction Spending for April is expected to cool somewhat from the prior month but remain in positive territory.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Pre-Markets Turn South on News from Middle East

Last Friday, the three major Wall Street indexes closed a winning week. The Dow climbed 0.9%, the S&P 500 gained 1.4% and the Nasdaq rose 2.4%. For the month, the Dow added 2.8%, the S&P 500 advanced 5.2% and the Nasdaq surged 8.4%, capping a strong May for U.S. equities.
Wall Street was driven higher by continued enthusiasm surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor stocks. Strong earnings from technology leaders, upbeat demand forecasts and expectations of increased AI-related spending helped lift growth shares, particularly within the Nasdaq.
Investor sentiment was also supported by easing inflation concerns and hopes that the Federal Reserve could remain on a path toward lower interest rates later this year. Meanwhile, resilient economic data and generally solid corporate earnings reinforced confidence that the U.S. economy can continue expanding despite ongoing global uncertainties.
Regardless of market conditions, we, here at Zacks, provide investors with unbiased guidance on how to beat the market.
As usual, Zacks Research guided investors over the past three months with its time-tested methodologies. Given the prevailing market uncertainty, you may want to look at our feats to prepare better for your next action.
Here are some of our key achievements:
Hudson Pacific and FactSet Research Surge Following Zacks Rank Upgrade
Shares of Hudson Pacific Properties, Inc. HPP have gained 113.9% (versus the S&P 500’s 19.3% increase) since it was upgraded to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) on March 30.
Another stock, FactSet Research Systems Inc. FDS, which was upgraded to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) on March 30, has returned 23.8% since then.
A portfolio of Zacks # 1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks has outperformed the S&P 500 index by almost 8 percentage points this year. Through May 5th, the Zacks # 1 Rank portfolio returned +13.14%, which compares to +5.19% for the S&P 500 index and +7.76% for the equal-weight version of the index in the year-to-date period.
Since its inception in 1988, this portfolio of Zacks # 1 Rank stocks has outperformed the market by 12.6 percentage points. The average annual return for this portfolio of Zacks # 1 Rank stocks since inception in 1988 was +24% through May 5th, which compared to +11.5% gain for the S&P 500 index and +11.3% gain for the equal-weight version of the index.
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Zacks Recommendation Upgrades TD SYNNEX and YPF Sociedad
Shares of TD SYNNEX Corporation SNX and YPF Sociedad Anonima YPF have surged 39.8% and 17.2% (versus the S&P 500’s 15.3% rise), respectively, since their Zacks Recommendation was upgraded to Outperform on April 6.
While the Zacks Rank is our short-term rating system that is most effective over the one- to three-month holding horizon, the Zacks Recommendation aims to predict performance over the next 6 to 12 months. However, just like the Zacks Rank, the foundation for the Zacks Recommendation is trends in earnings estimate revisions.
The Zacks Recommendation classifies stocks into three groups — Outperform, Neutral and Underperform. While these recommendations are determined quantitatively, our analysts have the flexibility to override them for the 1100+ stocks they closely follow based on their better judgment of factors such as valuation, industry conditions and management effectiveness than the quantitative model.
To access our research reports with Zacks Recommendations for the 1100+ stocks we cover, click here>>>
Zacks Focus List Stocks Advanced Micro Devices, Micron Shoot Up
Shares of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. AMD, which belongs to the Zacks Focus List, have gained 157.8% over the past 12 weeks. The stock was added to the Focus List on May 19, 2025. Another Focus-List holding, Micron Technology, Inc. MU, which was added to the list on December 27, 2016, has returned 135.5% over the past 12 weeks. The S&P 500 has advanced 10.3% over this period.
The 50-stock Focus List portfolio returned +8.43% in 2026 (through April 30th) vs. +5.7% for the S&P 500 index and +6.65% for the equal-weight version of the index.
The portfolio returned +22.1% in 2025 vs. +17.9% for the S&P 500 index and +11.4% for the equal-weight version of the index.
The Zacks Focus List portfolio returned +18.41% in 2024 vs. +25.04% for the S&P 500 index and +13% for the equal-weight S&P 500 index. The portfolio had returned +29.54% in 2023 vs. +26.28% for the S&P 500 index and +13.61% for the equal-weight S&P 500 index. In 2022, the portfolio returned -15.2% vs. the S&P 500 index’s -17.96%.
Through April 30th, 2026, the portfolio’s rolling returns on a one-year, three-year, five-year, ten-year, and since 2004 have been +38.84% (vs. +31.05% for the S&P 500 index), +22.24% (vs. +21.69%), +12.55% (vs. +13.14%), +16.46% (vs. +15.26%) and +12.36% vs. (+10.82%), respectively.
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Zacks ECAP Stocks Oracle & UnitedHealth Gain Significantly
Oracle Corporation ORCL, a component of our Earnings Certain Admiral Portfolio (ECAP), has jumped 55.3% over the past 12 weeks. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated UNH followed Oracle with 29.7% returns.
The Zacks Earnings Certain Admiral Portfolio (ECAP), which consists of 30 concentrated, ultra-defensive, long-term Buy-and-Hold stocks, returned -7.14% in 2026 Q1 vs. -4.33% for the S&P 500 index.
For 2025, the portfolio returned -1.67% vs. +17.9% gain for the S&P 500 index. For the year 2024, the portfolio returned +16.26% vs. +24.89% for the S&P 500 index (SPY ETF). In 2023, the portfolio returned +12.17% vs. +26.28% for the S&P 500 index. The portfolio returned -4.7% in 2022 vs. the S&P 500 index’s -17.96%.
With little to no turnover and annual rebalance periodicity, ECAP seeks to minimize capital loss by holding shares of companies whose earnings streams exhibit a proven 20+ year track record of surviving recessionary periods with minimal impact on aggregate earnings growth relative to the overall S&P 500.
The ECAP and many other model portfolios are available as part of Zacks Advisor Tools, a cloud-based solution to access Zacks award-winning stock, mutual fund and ETF research. Click here to schedule a demo.
Zacks ECDP Stock Automatic Data Processing Outperforms Peers
Automatic Data Processing, Inc. ADP, which is part of our Earnings Certain Dividend Portfolio (ECDP), has returned 3.5% over the past 12 weeks. Of course, the inclination of investors toward quality dividend stocks to secure an income stream amid heightened market volatility contributed to this performance.
With an extremely low beta and a history of minimum earnings variability over the last 20+ years, this 25-stock portfolio helps significantly mitigate risk.
The Zacks Earnings Certain Dividend Portfolio (ECDP) returned -1.43% in 2026 Q1 vs. -4.33% for the S&P 500 index and +2.3% for the Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NOBL).
The portfolio returned -0.6% in 2025 vs. +6.8% gain for the Dividend Aristocrat ETF. For the full year 2024, the portfolio returned +6.95% vs. +24.89% for the S&P 500 index and +6.72% for NOBL. The portfolio returned -0.9% in 2023 vs. +26.28% for the S&P 500 index and +8.11% for NOBL. The portfolio returned -2.3% in 2022 vs. -17.96% for the S&P 500 index and -8.34% for NOBL.
Click here to access this portfolio on Zacks Advisor Tools.
Zacks Top 10 Stock Carpenter Technology Delivers Solid Returns
Carpenter Technology Corporation CRS, from the Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2025, has jumped 38.6% since January 5, 2026, compared with the S&P 500 Index’s 10.8% increase.
The Top 10 portfolio retuned +20.7% in 2026 (through April 30th) vs. +5.7% for the S&P 500 index and +6.8% for the equal-weight version of the index.
The Top 10 portfolio returned +22.6% in 2025 vs. +17.9% for the S&P 500 index and +11.4% for the equal-weight version of the index.
The Top 10 portfolio returned +62.98% in 2024, vs. +25.04% for the S&P 500 index and +13% for the equal-weight version of the index. The portfolio had returned +25.15% in 2023 vs. +26.28% for the S&P 500 index.
Through the end of April 2026, the Top 10 portfolio has produced a cumulative return of +3,028.5% since 2012 vs. +599.3% for the S&P 500 index and +436.9% for the equal-weight version of the index. The portfolio has produced an average annual return of +26.9% in the period 2012 through April 30th, 2026 vs. +13.3% for the S&P 500 index and +10.9% for the equal-weight version of the index.
Radical New Technology Could Hand Investors Huge Gains
Quantum Computing is the next technological revolution, and it could be even more advanced than AI.
While some believed the technology was years away, it is already present and moving fast. Large hyperscalers, such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Oracle, and even Meta and Tesla, are scrambling to integrate quantum computing into their infrastructure.
Senior Stock Strategist Kevin Cook reveals 7 carefully selected stocks poised to dominate the quantum computing landscape in his report, Beyond AI: The Quantum Leap in Computing Power.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Beat the Market Like Zacks: Oracle, Micron, Hudson Pacific in Focus

In the latest look at the underlying components of the S&P 500 ordered by largest market capitalization, Automatic Data Processing Inc. (Symbol: ADP) has taken over the #124 spot from Blackstone Inc (Symbol: BX), according to The Online Investor.
Market capitalization is an important data point for investors to keep an eye on, for various reasons. The most basic reason is that it gives a true comparison of the value attributed by the stock market to a given company's stock. Many beginning investors look at one stock trading at $10 and another trading at $20 and mistakenly think the latter company is worth twice as much — that of course is a completely meaningless comparison without knowing how many shares of each company exist. But comparing market capitalization (factoring in those share counts) creates a true "apples-to-apples" comparison of the value of two stocks. In the case of Automatic Data Processing Inc. (Symbol: ADP), the market cap is now $87.89 billion, versus Blackstone Inc (Symbol: BX) at $86.20 billion.
Below is a chart of Automatic Data Processing Inc. versus Blackstone Inc plotting their respective size rank within the S&P 500 over time (ADP plotted in blue; BX plotted in green):
Below is a three month price history chart comparing the stock performance of ADP vs. BX:
Another reason market capitalization is important is where it places a company in terms of its size tier in relation to peers — much like the way a mid-size sedan is typically compared to other mid-size sedans (and not SUV's). This can have a direct impact on which mutual funds and ETFs are willing to own the stock. For instance, a mutual fund that is focused solely on Large Cap stocks may for example only be interested in those companies sized $10 billion or larger. Another illustrative example is the S&P MidCap index which essentially takes the S&P 500 index and "tosses out" the biggest 100 companies so as to focus solely on the 400 smaller "up-and-comers" (which in the right environment can outperform their larger rivals). So a company's market cap, especially in relation to other companies, carries great importance, and for this reason we at The Online Investor find value to putting together these rankings daily.
Examine the full ADP market cap history vs. the full BX market cap history.
At the closing bell, ADP is up about 1%, while BX is up about 0.7% on the day Friday.
Further ADP Research:
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Automatic Data Processing Now #124 Largest Company, Surpassing Blackstone

In the latest look at the underlying components of the S&P 500 ordered by largest market capitalization, PNC Financial Services Group (Symbol: PNC) has taken over the #125 spot from Automatic Data Processing Inc. (Symbol: ADP), according to The Online Investor.
Market capitalization is an important data point for investors to keep an eye on, for various reasons. The most basic reason is that it gives a true comparison of the value attributed by the stock market to a given company's stock. Many beginning investors look at one stock trading at $10 and another trading at $20 and mistakenly think the latter company is worth twice as much — that of course is a completely meaningless comparison without knowing how many shares of each company exist. But comparing market capitalization (factoring in those share counts) creates a true "apples-to-apples" comparison of the value of two stocks. In the case of PNC Financial Services Group (Symbol: PNC), the market cap is now $88.26 billion, versus Automatic Data Processing Inc. (Symbol: ADP) at $87.89 billion.
Below is a chart of PNC Financial Services Group versus Automatic Data Processing Inc. plotting their respective size rank within the S&P 500 over time (PNC plotted in blue; ADP plotted in green):
Below is a three month price history chart comparing the stock performance of PNC vs. ADP:
Another reason market capitalization is important is where it places a company in terms of its size tier in relation to peers — much like the way a mid-size sedan is typically compared to other mid-size sedans (and not SUV's). This can have a direct impact on which mutual funds and ETFs are willing to own the stock. For instance, a mutual fund that is focused solely on Large Cap stocks may for example only be interested in those companies sized $10 billion or larger. Another illustrative example is the S&P MidCap index which essentially takes the S&P 500 index and "tosses out" the biggest 100 companies so as to focus solely on the 400 smaller "up-and-comers" (which in the right environment can outperform their larger rivals). So a company's market cap, especially in relation to other companies, carries great importance, and for this reason we at The Online Investor find value to putting together these rankings daily.
Examine the full PNC market cap history vs. the full ADP market cap history.
At the closing bell, PNC is up about 0.7%, while ADP is trading flat on the day Friday.
Further PNC Research:
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

PNC Financial Services Group Takes Over #125 Spot From Automatic Data Processing

UiPath’s PATH first-quarter fiscal 2027 earnings matched the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 15 cents per share and increased 36.4% year over year, while revenues of $418.4 million topped the consensus mark by 5.3%. Revenues rose 17% year over year, supported by strong demand for AI-driven automation and orchestration offerings.
UiPath, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
The company continued to benefit from expanding enterprise adoption of agentic artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. Annualized renewal run rate (ARR) rose 12% year over year to $1.901 billion, while the dollar-based net retention rate was 109%.
PATH's ARR & Revenues Expand
UiPath generated $49 million in net new ARR during the quarter, reflecting steady customer expansion activity. Subscription services revenues were $252.9 million, while license revenues reached $149.3 million.
Per management, 16 of the company’s top 20 deals included AI capabilities. AI-related expansion deals were six times larger than non-AI deals, highlighting rising enterprise demand for automation tied to generative AI workflows.
UiPath Pushes Agentic AI Adoption
UiPath continued investing in agentic automation and process-orchestration initiatives during the quarter. Management said adoption of its agentic products has shifted from pilot programs to production deployments over the past year.
At its DevCon event, the company introduced UiPath for Coding Agents, enabling developers to connect coding agents with the UiPath platform to create, deploy and manage automations. Management believes the offering could reduce implementation timelines and maintenance burdens in complex enterprise environments.
The company also launched industry-focused AI workflow solutions spanning finance, retail, manufacturing and financial services. New offerings address use cases including purchase-to-pay workflows, inventory management, loan origination and financial crime compliance.
PATH Benefits From Enterprise Expansion
UiPath highlighted several large customer wins and expansions tied to process orchestration and AI automation deployments. A Fortune 500 energy company reportedly positioned UiPath at the center of a $70 million cost-reduction initiative.
Management also cited a large healthcare distribution customer expected to achieve multi-million-dollar annual savings through workflows combining AI agents and deterministic automation. The deployment contributed to a seven-figure expansion during the quarter.
The company continued to gain traction with Maestro, its orchestration platform designed to coordinate agents, automations, application programming interfaces, and people across enterprise workflows. UiPath launched Maestro Case in public preview to support the orchestration of unstructured and exception-driven work processes.
PATH Strengthens Profitability & Cash Flow
UiPath reported first-quarter GAAP operating income of $28 million. Non-GAAP operating income increased to $92 million, representing an operating margin of 22%.
GAAP gross margin was 82%, while non-GAAP gross margin came in at 83%. Management attributed margin expansion to improved operational efficiency and disciplined cost management across the business.
The company generated $132 million in net cash flow from operations during the quarter. Adjusted non-GAAP free cash flow totaled $130 million.
UiPath exited the quarter with $1.42 billion in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, providing significant financial flexibility. The strong balance sheet supports continued investment in AI innovation, enterprise automation capabilities and strategic partnerships.
UiPath Guidance for Steady Q2 & FY27 Growth
For the second quarter of fiscal 2027, UiPath expects revenues to be between $395 million and $400 million, with the midpoint of $397.5 million being in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The company projects ARR to be in the range of $1.929-$1.934 billion as of July 31, 2026.
Management expects second-quarter non-GAAP operating income of approximately $75 million. For fiscal 2027, UiPath projects revenues to be between $1.776 billion and $1.781 billion, with the midpoint of $1.78 billion being above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.76 billion.
The company anticipates fiscal 2027 ARR to be in the range of $2.058 billion to $2.063 billion. Full-year non-GAAP operating income is projected at approximately $430 million, reflecting continued operating discipline amid ongoing investments in AI and orchestration capabilities.
Currently, UiPath carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Recent Earnings Snapshots
Accenture plc ACN reported impressive second-quarter fiscal 2026 results.
ACN’s earnings were $2.93 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.5%. The metric increased 3.9% from the year-ago quarter. Total revenues of $18 billion beat the consensus estimate by 1.2% and rose 8.3% on a year-over-year basis.
Automatic Data Processing, Inc. ADP reported impressive third-quarter fiscal 2026 results, with earnings and revenues beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
ADP’s earnings per share of $3.37 beat the consensus estimate by 2.7% and increased 10.1% from the year-ago quarter. Total revenues of $5.94 billion surpassed the consensus estimate by 1.4% and grew 7% on a year-over-year basis.
Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"
Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.
This top pick is a little-known satellite-based communications firm. Space is projected to become a trillion dollar industry, and this company's customer base is growing fast. Analysts have forecasted a major revenue breakout in 2025. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.
Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners Up
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Accenture PLC (ACN) : Free Stock Analysis Report
UiPath, Inc. (PATH) : Free Stock Analysis Report
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Periodand min./max. price, $	Price change, %		Volatility, %		Volume, $
Periodand min./max. price, $	ADP	Industry	ADP	Industry	Volume, $
Yesterday 228.4 - 233.2	-0.94	5.33	1.29	1.63	264.13M
Week 225.4 - 237.1	-2.44	8.99	1.51	3.44	1.48B
Month 204.6 - 237.1	8.23	15.71	5.99	7.86	7.87B
3 Months 188.2 - 237.1	4.94	10.67	8.95	19.21	29.79B
6 Months 188.2 - 268.1	-11.92	18.16	13.05	28.72	61.54B
Year 188.2 - 316.0	-27.27	59.74	24.23	44.13	99.42B
3 years 188.2 - 329.9	6.68	52.82	36.06	67.71	175.92B
5 years 188.2 - 329.9	14.13	87.68	49.54	93.82	255.76B
All time 21.5 - 294.2	456.79	186.28	—	—	187.76B

Automatic Data Processing, Inc.

Price and volatility history

Risk ratios