Paychex [PAYX] vs Salesforce [CRM] Detailed Stock Comparison

TLDR: Quick Comparison Summary

Based on 21 vital metrics comparison: Paychex Inc. wins in 8 metrics, Salesforce Inc. wins in 12 metrics, with 0 ties. Salesforce Inc. appears stronger overall.

View Metrics Details

Vital Metrics Comparison

Metric Paychex Inc. Salesforce Inc. Better
P/E Ratio (TTM) 20.68 23.99 Paychex Inc.
Price-to-Book Ratio 8.36 2.94 Salesforce Inc.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio 124.91 29.95 Salesforce Inc.
PEG Ratio 2.48 1.42 Salesforce Inc.
EV/EBITDA 22.88 14.41 Salesforce Inc.
Profit Margin (TTM) 26.63% 17.96% Paychex Inc.
Operating Margin (TTM) 44.38% 19.24% Paychex Inc.
EBITDA Margin (TTM) 44.38% 19.24% Paychex Inc.
Return on Equity 40.15% 12.40% Paychex Inc.
Return on Assets (TTM) 10.01% 5.18% Paychex Inc.
Free Cash Flow (TTM) $1.71B $14.40B Salesforce Inc.
Dividend Yield 4.97% 0.65% Paychex Inc.
1-Year Return -38.59% -27.99% Salesforce Inc.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) 8.46 4.16 Salesforce Inc.
Enterprise Value $36.80B $180.85B Salesforce Inc.
EV/Revenue Ratio 9.27 4.36 Salesforce Inc.
Gross Profit Margin (TTM) 76.16% 77.61% Salesforce Inc.
Revenue per Share (TTM) $11 $44 Salesforce Inc.
Earnings per Share (Diluted) $4.53 $7.80 Salesforce Inc.
Beta (Stock Volatility) N/A 1.29 N/A
Short % of Float 6.45% 11.00% Paychex Inc.

Paychex Inc. vs Salesforce Inc. Stock Performance Analysis

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Performance Comparison

Short-term Returns

Stock1D1W1M3M6MYTD
Paychex Inc.-2.32%4.26%6.46%3.02%-13.18%-9.35%
Salesforce Inc.-5.09%7.38%2.77%-2.77%-20.15%-24.84%

Long-term Returns

Stock1Y3Y5Y10Y15Y20Y
Paychex Inc.-38.59%-12.04%-5.44%77.26%217.55%158.96%
Salesforce Inc.-27.99%-10.29%-19.53%131.50%427.17%2,458.23%

Performance & Financial Health Analysis: Paychex Inc. vs Salesforce Inc.

MetricPAYXCRM
Market Information
Market Cap i$33.48B$159.96B
Market Cap CategoryLarge capLarge cap
10 Day Avg. Volume i3,459,44214,778,934
90 Day Avg. Volume i4,163,52413,868,465
Last Close$98.45$190.61
52 Week Range$85.45 - $161.24$163.52 - $276.80
% from 52W High-38.94%-31.14%
All-Time High$161.24 (Jun 06, 2025)$369.00 (Dec 02, 2024)
% from All-Time High-38.94%-48.34%
Growth Metrics
Quarterly Revenue Growth0.20%0.12%
Quarterly Earnings Growth0.08%0.14%
Financial Health
Profit Margin (TTM) i0.27%0.18%
Operating Margin (TTM) i0.44%0.19%
Return on Equity (TTM) i0.40%0.12%
Debt to Equity (MRQ) i124.9129.95
Cash & Liquidity
Book Value per Share (MRQ)$11.20$63.66
Cash per Share (MRQ)$4.97$10.36
Operating Cash Flow (TTM) i$1.18B$15.00B
Levered Free Cash Flow (TTM) i$1.66B$16.37B
Dividends
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i4.97%0.65%
Last 12-Month Dividend i$5.30$1.68

Valuation & Enterprise Metrics Analysis: Paychex Inc. vs Salesforce Inc.

MetricPAYX (Apr 23, 2026)CRM (Apr 24, 2026)
Price Ratios
P/E Ratio (TTM) i20.6823.99
Forward P/E i15.8712.53
PEG Ratio i2.481.42
Price to Sales (TTM) i8.464.16
Price to Book (MRQ) i8.362.94
Market Capitalization
Market Capitalization i$33.48B$159.96B
Enterprise Value i$36.80B$180.85B
Enterprise Value Metrics
Enterprise to Revenue i9.274.36
Enterprise to EBITDA i22.8814.41
Risk & Other Metrics
Beta iN/A1.29
Book Value per Share (MRQ) i$11.20$63.66

Financial Statements Comparison: Paychex Inc. vs Salesforce Inc.

Financial Metrics

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Revenue

Operating Margin

Profit Margin

Long Term Debt

Income Flow Analysis

Financial Statements Comparison

Income Statement

MetricPAYX (2025)CRM (2026)
Revenue/Sales i5.57B41.53B
Cost of Goods Sold i1.54B9.27B
COGS % of Revenue i27.6%22.3%
Gross Profit i4.03B32.26B
Gross Margin i72.4%77.7%
Research & Development iN/A5.99B
Operating Income (EBIT) i2.21B8.92B
Operating Margin i39.6%21.5%
EBITDA i2.49B12.12B
EBITDA Margin i44.7%29.2%
Pre-Tax Income i2.18B9.52B
Pre-Tax Income % of Revenue i39.1%22.9%
Income Tax i518.60M2.06B
Income Tax % of Revenue i9.3%5.0%
Net Income (Profit) i1.66B7.46B
Profit Margin i29.7%18.0%

Balance Sheet & Liquidity Metrics

MetricPAYX (2025)CRM (2026)
Cash & Equivalents i1.63B7.33B
Total Current Assets i8.92B28.22B
Total Current Assets % of Revenue i160.0%68.0%
Total Current Liabilities i6.96B37.12B
Total Current Liabilities % of Revenue i124.9%89.4%
Long-Term Debt i4.60B12.63B
Long-Term Debt % of Revenue i82.6%30.4%
Total Shareholders Equity i4.13B59.14B
Retained Earnings i2.28B22.22B
Retained Earnings % of Revenue i40.9%53.5%
Property, Plant & Equipment i306.60M2.00B

Cash Flow Statement Comparison

MetricPAYX (2025)CRM (2026)
Operating Cash Flow i1.86B15.19B
Operating Cash Flow % of Revenue i33.4%36.6%
Capital Expenditures i-191.80MN/A
Free Cash Flow i1.71B14.40B
FCF Margin i30.7%34.7%
Debt Repayment iN/A-584.00M
Common Stock Repurchase i-104.50M-12.60B

Short Interest & Institutional Ownership Analysis

MetricPAYXCRM
Shares Short i20.67M77.81M
Short Ratio i4.905.94
Short % of Float i6.45%11.00%
Shares Outstanding i358.29M929.00M
Float Shares iN/A894.44M
% Held by Insiders i10.38%3.02%
% Held by Institutions i84.61%95.86%
% Held by Public i5.01%1.12%

Dividend Analysis & Yield Comparison: Paychex Inc. vs Salesforce Inc.

MetricPAYXCRM
Last 12-Month Dividend i$5.30$1.68
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i4.97%0.65%
3-Year Avg Annual Dividend i$4.20$1.09
3-Year Avg Dividend Yield i0.77%0.15%
3-Year Total Dividends i$12.59$3.28
Ex-Dividend DateJan 28, 2026Dec 18, 2025