Automatic Data Processing Inc vs Smith & Nephew plc — how do they compare? Automatic Data Processing Inc trades at $267.59 (market cap $107.69B), while Smith & Nephew plc trades at $29.82 (market cap $12.54B). The key difference: Automatic Data Processing Inc is far larger — about 8.6× Smith & Nephew plc's market cap, and Smith & Nephew plc pays the higher dividend (2.65%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ADP | SNN | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $107.69B | $12.54B |
Sector | Industrials | Health |
52-Week High | $309.03 | $38.70 |
52-Week Low | $188.79 | $28.73 |
Enterprise Value | $108.73B | $15.57B |
Dividend Yield | 2.51% | 2.65% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
ADP trades at $268.23, down 1.99% over the past day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and a consensus analyst price target of $280.50. The company reported strong earnings beats in recent quarters, with Q4 2026 EPS of $2.62 beating expectations, and maintains robust profitability with a net income margin of 20.11%. Recent news highlights dividend declarations and positive earnings momentum, though valuation ratios like a P/E of 24.78 suggest a premium.
The outlook for ADP is supported by consistent earnings growth and solid cash flow, but high valuation multiples and competitive pressures in payroll processing pose risks. Upside potential exists if the company meets Q3 2026 EPS expectations of $2.78, while macroeconomic labor market trends could impact performance. Analyst sentiment is mixed, with 63.89% holding, indicating cautious optimism amid elevated pricing.
Smith & Nephew (SNN) trades at $29.76, down 1.06% with bearish technical signals. The company shows improving fundamentals with revenue growth from $5.8B to $6.2B and net income margin expanding to 10.08% in 2025. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat expectations but the company lowered full-year revenue guidance from 6% to 4% growth due to U.S. Orthopaedics weakness.
While valuation multiples appear reasonable (P/E 20.41, EV/EBITDA 9.9), the stock faces headwinds from mixed earnings performance and cautious analyst sentiment. The primary investment case hinges on execution in robotics and wound care segments offsetting orthopedic challenges, with downside risk from continued U.S. market softness.
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 →Smith & Nephew designs, manufactures, and markets orthopedic devices, sports medicine and arthroscopic technologies, and wound-care solutions. Roughly 42% of the U.K.-based firm's revenue comes from orthopedic products, and another 30% is sports medicine and ENT. The remaining 28% of revenue is from the advanced wound therapy segment. Roughly half of Smith & Nephew's total revenue comes from the United States, just over 30% is from other developed markets, and emerging markets account for the remainder.
Read more on SNN →