Which has the lower trailing P/E, FERG or PAYX?

FERG has the lower trailing P/E: FERG trades at 22.32 and PAYX at 25.59. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, FERG or PAYX?

Over the past five years, PAYX grew revenue faster — FERG at a -17.70% CAGR versus PAYX at 9.93%.

Does FERG or PAYX pay a bigger dividend?

FERG yields 1.88% and PAYX yields 3.55% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is FERG or PAYX more profitable?

PAYX runs the higher net margin — FERG at 6.39% versus PAYX at 27.03%.

How have FERG and PAYX total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, FERG delivered 17.93% and PAYX delivered 10.91% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Ferguson plc (FERG) vs Paychex, Inc. (PAYX)

A side-by-side comparison of Ferguson plc and Paychex, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of August 28, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

FERG

Ferguson plc

$45.24B

$233.26IndustrialsDelayed quote: Aug 27, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

PAYX

Paychex, Inc.

$44.99B

$126.48IndustrialsDelayed quote: Aug 27, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — FERG vs PAYX

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

FERG +427.7% (+18.1%/yr)PAYX +180.8% (+10.9%/yr)FERG compounded faster over this window

FERG PAYX

FERG vs PAYX: by the numbers

•FERG is the larger company ($45.24B vs $44.99B market cap).
•FERG trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (22.32 vs 25.59 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•PAYX converts more revenue to profit (27.03% vs 6.39% net margin).
•PAYX grew revenue faster over the past five years (9.93% vs -17.70% CAGR).
•PAYX pays the higher dividend yield (3.55% vs 1.88%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	FERG	PAYX
P/E ratio	22.32	25.59
Forward P/E	20.52	22.73
P/S ratio	1.42	6.87
P/B ratio	7.30	11.98
EV / EBITDA	15.73	16.33
FCF yield	2.79%	5.19%

Profitability

Metric	FERG	PAYX
Gross margin	30.55%	74.29%
Operating margin	9.01%	38.55%
Net margin	6.39%	27.03%
ROE	32.88%	47.12%
ROIC	16.51%	20.44%

Dividends

Metric	FERG	PAYX
Dividend yield	1.88%	3.55%
Payout ratio	127.62%	90.41%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	FERG	PAYX
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	-17.70%	9.93%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	-3.59%	9.95%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	-15.02%	15.18%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	12.90%	5.15%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, FERG or PAYX?: FERG has the lower trailing P/E: FERG trades at 22.32 and PAYX at 25.59. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, FERG or PAYX?: Over the past five years, PAYX grew revenue faster — FERG at a -17.70% CAGR versus PAYX at 9.93%.
Does FERG or PAYX pay a bigger dividend?: FERG yields 1.88% and PAYX yields 3.55% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is FERG or PAYX more profitable?: PAYX runs the higher net margin — FERG at 6.39% versus PAYX at 27.03%.
How have FERG and PAYX total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, FERG delivered 17.93% and PAYX delivered 10.91% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full FERG analysis Full PAYX analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Ferguson P/E ratio Paychex P/E ratio Ferguson dividend yield Paychex dividend yield Ferguson ROE Paychex ROE Ferguson operating margin Paychex operating margin Ferguson revenue growth Paychex revenue growth Ferguson free cash flow Paychex free cash flow

Ferguson & Paychex appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Highest ROE Stocks Highest ROIC Stocks Highest Operating Margin Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified August 28, 2026.