Coursera Inc vs Paychex, Inc. — how do they compare? Coursera Inc trades at $5.69 (market cap $1.64B), while Paychex, Inc. trades at $111.15 (market cap $38.95B). The key difference: Paychex, Inc. is far larger — about 23.8× Coursera Inc's market cap, and Paychex, Inc. pays a 4.35% dividend while Coursera Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| COUR | PAYX | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $1.64B | $38.95B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Industrials |
52-Week High | $12.70 | $147.99 |
52-Week Low | $5.09 | $85.57 |
Enterprise Value | $890.21M | $42.43B |
Dividend Yield | — | 4.35% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Coursera (COUR) trades at $5.67, down 0.7% on the day, with technical indicators showing a bearish trend. The company reported Q1 2026 earnings of $0.07 per share, missing estimates of $0.09, but revenue growth remains positive, reaching $757.5 million in 2025. Recent news highlights the completion of the Udemy merger and a $500 million share repurchase program, while analyst sentiment is mixed with a consensus price target of $8.00.
The outlook for COUR is cautiously optimistic, driven by potential synergies from the Udemy merger and steady revenue growth, though profitability challenges and competitive pressures pose risks. With a 52.94% buy rating from analysts and a 38.5% upside to the consensus target, the stock offers growth potential, but investors should monitor execution on cost management and integration success.
Paychex (PAYX) trades at $110.75, up 2.98% with a bullish technical signal supported by moving averages. The company demonstrates strong fundamentals with consistent earnings beats, including Q1 2026 EPS of $1.32 beating expectations, and maintains robust profitability with 27.03% net income margin. Recent dividend payment of $1.19 and positive business momentum from AI expansion and small business hiring trends support growth outlook.
Outlook remains positive with steady revenue growth and AI-driven efficiency gains, though valuation multiples appear elevated with P/E of 22.65. Risks include competitive pressures and macroeconomic sensitivity to small business employment trends. Analyst consensus is mixed with 16.67% buy ratings but price target alignment with current levels.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Coursera Inc is a global online learning platform that offers anyone, anywhere access to online courses and degrees from world-class universities and companies. It combines content, data, and technology into a single, unified platform that is customizable and extensible to both individual learners and institutions. The platform will contain a catalog of high-quality content and credentials, content developed by leading university and industry partners, data and machine learning drive personalized Learning, effective marketing, and skills Benchmarking and others.
Read more on COUR →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 →