Paycom Software Inc vs Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock — how do they compare? Paycom Software Inc trades at $238.6 (market cap $10.67B), while Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock trades at $39.82 (market cap $11.15B). The key difference: Paycom Software Inc and Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock are close in size by market cap, and Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock pays the higher dividend (3.67%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Paycom Software Inc for 84 Days and Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock for 0 Days on average.
| PAYC | WTRG | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $10.67B | $11.15B |
Volume | 411,289 | 1,760,234 |
Sector | Technology | Utilities |
52-Week High | $240.52 | $42.00 |
52-Week Low | $113.59 | $36.25 |
Typical Hold Time | 84 Days | 0 Days |
Enterprise Value | $11.45B | $19.66B |
Dividend Yield | 0.63% | 3.67% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
PAYC trades at $239.00, up 1.7% today, with a bullish technical trend and strong fundamentals. The company reported Q2 2026 EPS of $2.78, beating estimates by 17%, and raised full-year guidance to 7-8% revenue growth. Valuation metrics show a P/E of 25.04 and robust profitability with a net margin of 22.78%. Recent news highlights institutional buying and positive earnings momentum.
The outlook is positive given earnings beats and raised guidance, but risks include high valuation multiples and competitive pressures. Analysts are mixed with a $211.08 consensus target, below the current price, suggesting cautious optimism. The stock's proximity to its 52-week high warrants monitoring for pullbacks.
WTRG trades at $39.29, up 0.36% with neutral technical signals. The stock shows mixed earnings performance with two beats and one miss in recent quarters, while maintaining strong profitability margins (21.6% net income margin). Analyst consensus is bullish with a $44.50 price target, supported by ongoing acquisitions and pending merger developments with American Water.
The stock presents a stable utility investment with moderate growth potential through strategic acquisitions, though near-term earnings volatility and integration risks from the pending merger warrant caution. Current valuation at 20.15 P/E appears reasonable given the company's consistent cash flow generation and defensive sector positioning.
Trailing returns across standard periods
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
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 →Essential Utilities Inc. is a holding company for regulated water, wastewater, and natural gas utilities, operating under the Aqua and Peoples brands. It serves customers across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, North Carolina, New Jersey, Indiana, Virginia, and Kentucky.
Read more on WTRG →