ACVA vs. ADP

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

ACVA (ACV Auctions Inc.) and ADP (Automatic Data Processing, Inc.) are both stocks. ACVA operates in Software - Application (Technology), while ADP operates in Staffing & Employment Services (Industrials). Over the past 5 years, ACVA returned -26.01%/yr vs 5.09%/yr for ADP. At a 0.26 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

ACVA vs. ADP - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in ACV Auctions Inc. (ACVA) and Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ACVA achieves a -27.56% return, which is significantly lower than ADP's -10.73% return.

ACVA

• 1D: -8.07%
• 1M: 9.62%
• YTD: -27.56%
• 6M: -26.46%
• 1Y: -64.44%
• 3Y*: -30.73%
• 5Y*: -26.01%
• 10Y*: —

ADP

• 1D: -1.48%
• 1M: 7.77%
• YTD: -10.73%
• 6M: -11.18%
• 1Y: -28.50%
• 3Y*: 4.06%
• 5Y*: 5.09%
• 10Y*: 12.48%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

ACVA vs. ADP - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
ACVA ACV Auctions Inc.	-27.56%	-62.87%	42.57%	84.53%	-56.42%	-39.71%
ADP Automatic Data Processing, Inc.	-10.73%	-10.18%	28.41%	-0.25%	-1.29%	34.93%

Correlation

The correlation between ACVA and ADP is 0.33, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.33
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.26
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.28
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 25, 2021	0.26

Fundamentals

Market Cap ACVA : $1.01B ADP : $91.62B
EPS ACVA : -$0.36 ADP : $10.72
PS Ratio ACVA : 1.28 ADP : 4.27
PB Ratio ACVA : 2.34 ADP : 14.43
Total Revenue (TTM) ACVA : $781.10M ADP : $21.60B
Gross Profit (TTM) ACVA : $496.54M ADP : $10.26B
EBITDA (TTM) ACVA : -$10.72M ADP : $6.51B

Return for Risk

ACVA vs. ADP — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

ACVA

ACVA Risk / Return Rank: 8
ACVA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 7
ACVA Sortino Ratio Rank: 7
ACVA Omega Ratio Rank: 5
ACVA Calmar Ratio Rank: 8
ACVA Martin Ratio Rank: 13

ADP

ADP Risk / Return Rank: 7
ADP Sharpe Ratio Rank: 2
ADP Sortino Ratio Rank: 4
ADP Omega Ratio Rank: 5
ADP Calmar Ratio Rank: 15
ADP Martin Ratio Rank: 12

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

ACVA vs. ADP - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for ACV Auctions Inc. (ACVA) and Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	ACVA	ADP	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.90	-1.18	+0.28
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-1.31	-1.71	+0.40
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.80	0.80	0.00
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.86	-0.70	-0.16
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-1.25	-1.26	0.00
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ACVA vs. ADP - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ACVA Sharpe Ratio is -0.90, which is comparable to the ADP Sharpe Ratio of -1.18. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ACVA and ADP, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ACVA	ADP	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.90	-1.18	+0.28
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.43	0.23	-0.66
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.51	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	-0.46	0.54	-1.00

Drawdowns

ACVA vs. ADP - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ACVA drawdown since its inception was -88.80%, which is greater than ADP's maximum drawdown of -59.51%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ACVA and ADP.

Drawdown Indicators

	ACVA	ADP	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-88.80%	-59.51%	-29.29%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-75.43%	-40.78%	-34.65%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-82.09%	-40.78%	-41.31%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-84.16%	-40.78%	-43.38%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-40.78%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-84.31%	-28.56%	-55.75%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-59.90%	-12.59%	-47.31%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	51.38%	22.68%	+28.70%

Volatility

ACVA vs. ADP - Volatility Comparison

ACV Auctions Inc. (ACVA) has a higher volatility of 27.00% compared to Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP) at 9.79%. This indicates that ACVA's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ADP based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ACVA	ADP	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	27.00%	9.79%	+17.21%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	47.97%	20.37%	+27.60%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	71.88%	24.21%	+47.67%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	60.75%	22.04%	+38.71%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	60.50%	24.47%	+36.03%

Dividends

ACVA vs. ADP - Dividend Comparison

ACVA has not paid dividends to shareholders, while ADP's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.85%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ACVA ACV Auctions Inc.	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
ADP Automatic Data Processing, Inc.	2.85%	2.46%	1.96%	2.21%	1.83%	1.55%	2.08%	1.92%	2.14%	2.00%	2.10%	2.36%

Financials

ACVA vs. ADP - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between ACV Auctions Inc. and Automatic Data Processing, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

ACVA - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, ACV Auctions Inc. reported a gross profit of 124.37M and revenue of 204.19M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 60.9%.

ADP - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Automatic Data Processing, Inc. reported a gross profit of 2.87B and revenue of 5.94B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 48.3%.

ACVA - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, ACV Auctions Inc. reported an operating income of -9.24M and revenue of 204.19M, resulting in an operating margin of -4.5%.

ADP - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Automatic Data Processing, Inc. reported an operating income of 1.79B and revenue of 5.94B, resulting in an operating margin of 30.1%.

ACVA - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, ACV Auctions Inc. reported a net income of -10.89M and revenue of 204.19M, resulting in a net margin of -5.3%.

ADP - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Automatic Data Processing, Inc. reported a net income of 1.36B and revenue of 5.94B, resulting in a net margin of 22.9%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ACVA and ADP in my portfolio?

ACVA and ADP have a correlation of 0.33, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, ACVA or ADP?

ACVA has higher volatility (27.00%) compared to ADP (9.79%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ACVA dropped -88.80% vs ADP's -59.51%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

ACVA currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (-0.90 vs -1.18), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.