Price movement over the last 24 hours
Agilent Technologies Inc vs Paycom Software Inc — how do they compare? Agilent Technologies Inc trades at $128.24 (market cap $37.04B), while Paycom Software Inc trades at $138.44 (market cap $6.70B). The key difference: Agilent Technologies Inc is far larger — about 5.5× Paycom Software Inc's market cap, and Paycom Software Inc pays the higher dividend (1.04%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| A | PAYC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $37.04B | $6.70B |
Sector | Health | Technology |
52-Week High | $157.20 | $238.80 |
52-Week Low | $110.24 | $113.59 |
Enterprise Value | $38.59B | $7.31B |
Dividend Yield | 0.78% | 1.04% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Agilent Technologies (A) trades at $131.14, up 0.34% on the day, with a bearish technical signal but strong analyst support. The stock shows solid profitability with a net margin of 19.55% and ROE of 21.33%, supported by recent earnings beats. Recent acquisitions like Biocare Medical highlight growth initiatives, while cash flow trends remain positive. Valuation ratios such as P/E of 26.22 are elevated but align with quality growth expectations.
The outlook is positive given analyst consensus with a $154.90 price target and 77.5% buy ratings. Risks include execution of acquisitions and macroeconomic pressures on life sciences spending. The stock offers growth potential from AI-driven product launches, though technical resistance near $132 may cap near-term gains.
Paycom Software (PAYC) trades at $143.78, up 3.28% on the day, with a bullish technical signal and strong fundamentals including a 22.44% net income margin and 37.15% ROE. Recent earnings beat expectations in Q1 2026, and the company maintains robust cash flow from operations of $678.9 million in 2025. Analyst consensus is mixed with a $151 price target, while recent news highlights its value stock appeal and industry awards.
The outlook for PAYC is positive with solid revenue growth and profitability, though risks include competitive pressures and market volatility. The stock's current valuation metrics, such as a P/E of 16.19, suggest room for upside if earnings momentum continues, but investors should weigh execution risks against the bullish analyst sentiment and institutional support.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Originally spun out of Hewlett-Packard in 1999, Agilent has evolved into a leading life sciences and diagnostics firm. Today, Agilent's measurement technologies serve a broad base of customers with its three operating segments: life science and applied tools (45% of fiscal 2021 sales), cross lab (35% of sales consisting of consumables and services related to its life science and applied tools), and diagnostics and genomics (20%). Over half of its sales are generated from the biopharmaceutical, chemical, and energy end markets, but it also supports clinical lab, environmental, forensics, food, academic, and government-related organizations. The company is geographically diverse, with operations in the U.S. (34%) and China (20%) representing the largest country concentrations.
Read more on A →Paycom is a fast-growing provider of payroll and human capital management, or HCM, software primarily targeting clients with 50-10,000 employees in the United States. Paycom was established in 1998 and services about 18,000 clients as of 2021, based on parent company grouping. Alongside its core payroll software, Paycom offers various HCM add-on modules, including time and attendance, talent management, and benefits administration.
Read more on PAYC →