EXPONENT, INC. vs Paychex, Inc., two Consulting stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Where EXPO and PAYX diverge most: on debt / equity, EXPO reads 0.00 and PAYX reads 1.22; on altman z (solvency), EXPO reads 8.57 and PAYX reads 2.84. The rest of the comparable metrics sit closer together. On valuation, today's EXPO price has a different growth bar priced in than PAYX (+23.1% implied for EXPO vs +9.1% for PAYX); the higher figure is the steeper assumption to clear, not a better or worse stock. What EXPO's price implies is a bet that sits within the historical range (whole-company basis). What PAYX's price implies is a bet that sits within the historical range (whole-company basis). The bull and bear cases for each are in their full reports below.
| Metric | EXPO | PAYX |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $66.86 | $116.87 |
| Market cap | $3.4B | $42.0B |
| Sector | Consulting | Consulting |
| Stage | Mature | Growth |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +23.1% | +9.1% |
| P/E | 31.2 | 23.9 |
| P/B | 9.90 | 11.25 |
| P/S | 5.56 | 6.45 |
| EV/EBITDA | 25.5 | 15.4 |
| Revenue growth | +7.8% | +16.9% |
| Operating margin | 24.9% | 37.7% |
| Net margin | 18.1% | 27.0% |
| Return on equity | 32.2% | 47.1% |
| Return on assets | 15.8% | 10.9% |
| Return on invested capital | 24.1% | 23.0% |
| FCF yield | 3.4% | 5.5% |
| Dividend yield | 1.8% | 3.8% |
| Debt / equity | 0.00 | 1.22 |
| Current ratio | 2.40 | 1.26 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 8.57 | 2.84 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 6 / 9 | 6 / 9 |
Each week boothcheck ranks the stocks whose prices are betting on the most. Read the most stretched bets archive →
boothcheck is also on Android. Get the app on Google Play →
The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.