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Paycom's Q1 Earnings Surpass Expectations, Revenues Rise Y/Y (Revised)

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Key Takeaways

  • Paycom posted Q1 EPS of $3.15 and revenues of $571.9M, both ahead of consensus and up year over year.
  • PAYC's recurring revenues rose 8.8% to $544M, while gross margin expanded 50 bps to 85.1%.
  • Paycom guided 2026 revenues of $2.175-$2.195B and expects adjusted EBITDA of $950-$970M.

Paycom Software, Inc. (PAYC - Free Report) reported better-than-expected first-quarter 2026 results, wherein both top and bottom lines surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate.

The online payroll and human resource technology provider reported non-GAAP earnings of $3.15 per share, which increased 12.5% year over year and beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 7.5%.

Paycom’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters, while missing once, the average surprise being 5.7%.

Revenues totaled $571.9 million, which rose 7.8% from the year-ago quarter and exceeded the consensus estimate of $565 million by 1.2%.

Paycom Software, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Paycom Software, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Paycom Software, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Paycom Software, Inc. Quote

Paycom’s Q1 in Detail

Paycom’s Recurring revenues (representing 95.1% of the total revenues) improved 8.8% to $544 million in the first quarter. Our estimate for the company’s Recurring revenues was pegged at $538.2 million.

Paycom’s revenues from the Interest on funds held for clients segment decreased to $27.8 million from $30.5 million in the year-ago quarter and contributed 4.9% to total sales. Our estimate for the segment’s revenues was pegged at $27.7 million.

Adjusted gross profits increased 8.4% from the year-ago period to $486.7 million. The adjusted gross margin expanded 50 basis points (bps) on a year-over-year basis to 85.1%.

Paycom’s adjusted EBITDA rose 8.8% year over year to $275.4 million. The adjusted EBITDA margin expanded 50 basis points to 48.2%.

Paycom’s Balance Sheet & Cash Flow

Paycom exited the first quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $153.9 million compared with $370 million recorded in the previous quarter. The company had long-term debt of $675 million as of March 31, 2026.

In the first quarter of 2026, PAYC generated operating cash flow of approximately $213.8 million, paid out $17.7 million in dividends and bought back $1.06 billion worth of its common stock.

The board also approved a new $2 billion buyback authorization. Earlier on May 4, Paycom declared its upcoming quarterly dividend of 37.5 cents per share, payable on May 26, 2026.

Paycom Reaffirms 2026 Guidance

Following the first-quarter performance, management reaffirmed full-year guidance ranges. For 2026, Paycom continues to expect total revenues of $2.175-$2.195 billion, implying year-over-year growth of 6-7%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $2.19 billion, indicating year-over-year growth of 6.8%.

The company projects recurring revenues to grow 7-8% year over year. PAYC forecasts revenues from Interest on funds held for clients to be $103 million.

Paycom expects its 2026 adjusted EBITDA to be between $950 million and $970 million, translating to an EBITDA margin of approximately 44% at the midpoint.

Paycom’s Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider

Currently, PAYC carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Some better-ranked stocks in the broader Zacks Computer and Technology sector are Broadcom (AVGO - Free Report) , Celestica (CLS - Free Report) and Amphenol (APH - Free Report) , each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Shares of Broadcom have gained 19.2% year to date. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Broadcom’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $11.45 per share, up by 9 cents over the past 30 days, indicating an increase of 67.9% year over year.

Shares of Celestica have gained 30.3% year to date. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Celestica’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $10.16 per share, up 3.4% over the past seven days, indicating an increase of 67.9% year over year.

Amphenol shares have jumped 1.1% year to date. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for APH’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $4.76 per share, up by 11% over the past seven days, indicating an increase of 42.5% year over year.

(We are reissuing this article to correct a mistake. The original article, issued on May 7, 2026, should no longer be relied upon.)

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