Automatic Data Processing Inc vs Applied Digital Corporation — how do they compare? Automatic Data Processing Inc trades at $270 (market cap $108.72B), while Applied Digital Corporation trades at $31.31 (market cap $8.37B). The key difference: Automatic Data Processing Inc is far larger — about 13× Applied Digital Corporation's market cap, and Automatic Data Processing Inc pays a 2.48% dividend while Applied Digital Corporation pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ADP | APLD | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $108.72B | $8.37B |
Sector | Industrials | Technology |
52-Week High | $309.03 | $49.65 |
52-Week Low | $188.79 | $13.89 |
Enterprise Value | $109.76B | $11.87B |
Dividend Yield | 2.48% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
ADP trades at $271.32, down 0.8% for the day, with strong technical momentum showing bullish moving averages and key support at $269. The company demonstrates robust fundamentals with consistent earnings beats, 20.11% net margins, and 72.24% ROE. Recent Q4 2026 results showed 7% revenue growth and 17% EPS growth, driving positive analyst sentiment despite elevated valuation multiples.
Outlook remains positive with a $280.50 consensus price target offering 3.4% upside potential. Key opportunities include margin expansion and dividend stability, while risks center on high valuation sensitivity and labor market volatility affecting ADP's payroll processing business. The stock presents a quality growth opportunity with disciplined risk management required.
Applied Digital (APLD) trades at $29.22, up 1.25% with bearish technical signals despite unanimous analyst buy ratings. The company shows explosive revenue growth with Q4 2026 revenue surging 407% to $258.7M but continues posting significant losses with negative profit margins. Recent news highlights $36 billion in contracted AI infrastructure revenue and insider selling activity.
While analyst consensus targets $72.36 (147% upside), the stock faces execution risks from massive capital expenditures, negative cash flow, and challenging profitability metrics. The AI infrastructure build-out offers substantial growth potential but requires careful monitoring of financing needs and construction timelines.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
ADP is a provider of payroll and human capital management solutions servicing the full scope of businesses from micro to global enterprises. ADP was established in 1949 and serves over 990,000 clients primarily in the United States. ADP's employer services segment offers payroll, HCM solutions, HR outsourcing, insurance and retirement services. The smaller but faster-growing PEO segment provides HR outsourcing solutions to small and midsize businesses through a co-employment model.
Read more on ADP →Applied Digital provides high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure and cloud services. It designs and operates data centers tailored for AI, machine learning, and other intensive digital workloads across North America.
Read more on APLD →