Automatic Data Processing, Inc.
Thesis
ADP is one of the greatest success stories in American industry, having grown from a market cap of $10 million to $60 billion. The company earns a 40% return on equity and has a debt-free balance sheet, making it a strong investment despite its current trading multiple of 27x-30x earnings.
Did it work?
The pitch is a general quality-based long thesis on ADP citing strong ROE, a debt-free balance sheet, and a high but justified valuation multiple, with no stated price target, catalyst, or time horizon. No price performance data is available and no time elapsed is known, so there is no way to verify whether the stock performed in line with the thesis. Without either a return figure or confirmation that the thesis's qualitative claims played out, the outcome cannot be judged.