BMO Capital Lowers Paychex (NASDAQ: PAYX) Price Target Amidst Mixed Earnings

• BMO Capital analyst Daniel Jester revised the price target for Paychex to $113, indicating a cautious outlook on the company's stock performance.
• Despite reporting a slight earnings beat with revenue of $1.63 billion and non-GAAP earnings per share of $1.34, Paychex stock experienced an 8.77% daily drop.
• Investor concerns include lower GAAP earnings of $1.21 per share, a free cash flow of $357.4 million (87% of net income), and slowing sales growth.

Paychex (NASDAQ: PAYX) is a provider of human resources, payroll, and benefits services for small to medium-sized businesses. On September 24, 2026, BMO Capital analyst Daniel Jester lowered the price target for Paychex to $113, signaling a revised outlook on the company's stock performance.

At the time of the rating, Paychex was trading at $104.49 per share. The new price target of $113, while lower than previous estimates, still represents a potential upside of 8.14% from its current price. This adjustment comes as the stock experienced a significant daily drop of 8.77%.

The stock's decline occurred despite Paychex reporting a slight earnings beat for its fiscal first quarter. The company posted revenue of $1.63 billion, a 6% year-over-year increase. It also reported non-GAAP earnings of $1.34 per share, surpassing analyst expectations of $1.32 per share.

However, investors are looking closer at the details. The reported $1.34 profit is a non-GAAP figure. The actual earnings under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), which are the standard accounting rules, were lower at $1.21 per share, or $429.7 million in total profit.

Further concerns include a free cash flow of $357.4 million, which is only 87% of reported net income and a decrease from the prior year. As highlighted by the WSJ, sales growth is slowing, and an analyst from Seeking Alpha noted the company's core management solutions segment was underwhelming.