Price movement over the last 24 hours
Applied Digital Corporation vs Paychex, Inc. — how do they compare? Applied Digital Corporation trades at $30.74 (market cap $8.90B), while Paychex, Inc. trades at $108.43 (market cap $38.25B). The key difference: Paychex, Inc. is far larger — about 4.3× Applied Digital Corporation's market cap, and Paychex, Inc. pays a 4.43% dividend while Applied Digital Corporation pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| APLD | PAYX | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $8.90B | $38.25B |
Sector | Technology | Industrials |
52-Week High | $49.65 | $147.99 |
52-Week Low | $9.18 | $85.57 |
Enterprise Value | $10.00B | $41.73B |
Dividend Yield | — | 4.43% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Applied Digital (APLD) trades at $31.15, down 3.53% today, amid bearish technical signals despite unanimous analyst buy ratings. The company shows strong revenue growth with $144M in 2025 and $319M projected for 2026, but remains unprofitable with negative margins. Recent news highlights APLD's pivot to AI data centers with $36B in contracted lease value, though execution risks and customer concentration persist.
Outlook: High growth potential from AI infrastructure expansion contrasts with profitability challenges and heavy capital spending. Risks include customer concentration and debt load, but analyst consensus targets $76.67 suggest significant upside if execution improves.
Paychex (PAYX) trades at $107.54, up 1.16% with a bullish technical signal and consistent earnings beats. The stock shows strong profitability with 27.03% net margin and 44.77% ROE, though valuation ratios like P/E of 22 and P/S of 5.95 are elevated. Recent Q1 2026 EPS of $1.32 beat expectations, and the company maintains dividend payments with a $1.19 distribution scheduled for May 29, 2026. Cash flow from operations remains robust at $1.90B for 2025.
Outlook is cautiously optimistic with a consensus price target of $110.00, though analyst ratings are mixed (63.33% Hold). Key risks include macroeconomic sensitivity to small business hiring and integration challenges from acquisitions. The stock's current price near resistance at $110 suggests limited near-term upside without significant catalysts.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
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 →Paychex is a leading provider of payroll, human capital management, and insurance solutions servicing small and midsize clients primarily in the United States. The company, established in 1979, services over 730,000 clients and pays over 1 in 12 U.S. private-sector workers. Alongside its traditional payroll services, Paychex offers HCM solutions such as benefits administration and time and attendance software, as well as human resources outsourcing and insurance agency services.
Read more on PAYX →