Paychex, Inc. vs J M Smucker Co — how do they compare? Paychex, Inc. trades at $104.06 (market cap $37.19B), while J M Smucker Co trades at $119.43 (market cap $12.76B). The key difference: Paychex, Inc. is far larger — about 2.9× J M Smucker Co's market cap, and Paychex, Inc. pays the higher dividend (4.56%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Paychex, Inc. for 56 Days and J M Smucker Co for 74 Days on average.
| PAYX | SJM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $37.19B | $12.76B |
Volume | 3,344,316 | 1,300,545 |
Sector | Industrials | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $128.59 | $132.34 |
52-Week Low | $85.57 | $89.53 |
Typical Hold Time | 56 Days | 74 Days |
Enterprise Value | $40.87B | $19.61B |
Dividend Yield | 4.56% | 3.75% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Paychex (PAYX) trades at $104.62, up 3.02% today, with a mixed technical outlook showing bullish overall signals but bearish moving averages. The company reported strong earnings beats in recent quarters, with Q2 2026 EPS of $1.34 beating the $1.32 estimate, and maintains robust profitability with a 27.35% net income margin. Recent news highlights a 14% stock decline despite earnings strength, raising questions about dividend sustainability amid investor focus on cash flow.
The outlook is cautiously optimistic, with a consensus price target of $111 suggesting modest upside. Key opportunities include steady revenue growth and high margins, but risks involve labor market sensitivity and elevated valuation multiples. The stock's recent volatility reflects divergent analyst views, with 67.74% holding a neutral rating.
SJM stock trades at $119.27, up 2.88% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages. The company shows strong earnings momentum with three consecutive quarterly beats, though 2025 results were impacted by a net loss of $1.23B. Analyst consensus is positive with a $138.23 price target, representing 16% upside potential. Recent news highlights strong execution and raised 2027 guidance, while technical indicators show support at $118 and resistance at $120.
The outlook remains cautiously optimistic with earnings momentum and raised guidance supporting upside, but investors face risks from volatile profitability, high debt levels, and competitive pressures in consumer staples. The stock offers value with reasonable P/S and EV/EBITDA multiples, though the elevated P/E ratio requires sustained earnings improvement to justify current valuation levels.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
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 →J.M. Smucker is a packaged food company that primarily operates in the U.S. retail channel (87% of fiscal 2022 revenue), but also in U.S. food-service (7%), and international (6%). Its largest segment is pet food and treats (36% of 2022 revenue), with popular brands such as Milk-Bone, Meow Mix, 9Lives, Kibbles 'n Bits, Nature's Recipe, and Rachael Ray Nutrish. Its second-largest category is coffee (35% across channels) with the number-two brand Folgers and number-six Dunkin'. Other large categories are peanut butter (10%), with number-one Jif, fruit spreads (5%) with number-one Smucker's, and frozen hand-held foods (6%) with number-one Uncrustables.
Read more on SJM →