PPC vs. PAYX

Last updated Jun 9, 2026

PPC (Pilgrim's Pride Corporation) and PAYX (Paychex, Inc.) are both stocks. PPC operates in Packaged Foods (Consumer Defensive), while PAYX operates in Staffing & Employment Services (Industrials). Over the past 10 years, PPC returned 3.28%/yr vs 9.45%/yr for PAYX. At a 0.18 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

PPC vs. PAYX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Pilgrim's Pride Corporation (PPC) and Paychex, Inc. (PAYX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, PPC achieves a -25.16% return, which is significantly lower than PAYX's -9.76% return. Over the past 10 years, PPC has underperformed PAYX with an annualized return of 3.28%, while PAYX has yielded a comparatively higher 9.45% annualized return.

PPC

• 1D: -2.34%
• 1M: 0.27%
• YTD: -25.16%
• 6M: -24.01%
• 1Y: -35.02%
• 3Y*: 15.13%
• 5Y*: 8.40%
• 10Y*: 3.28%

PAYX

• 1D: -1.60%
• 1M: 6.67%
• YTD: -9.76%
• 6M: -9.97%
• 1Y: -35.54%
• 3Y*: -0.75%
• 5Y*: 2.11%
• 10Y*: 9.45%

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

PPC vs. PAYX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
PPC Pilgrim's Pride Corporation	-25.16%	1.40%	64.10%	16.56%	-15.85%	43.80%	-40.07%	110.96%	-50.06%	63.56%
PAYX Paychex, Inc.	-9.76%	-17.49%	21.31%	6.21%	-13.16%	50.16%	13.25%	34.53%	-1.08%	15.41%

Correlation

The correlation between PPC and PAYX is 0.12, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.12
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.12
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.23
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.27
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 26, 1990	0.18

The correlation between PPC and PAYX shifts across timeframes, from 0.12 (3 years) to 0.27 (10 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

Market Cap PPC : $6.96B PAYX : $35.67B
EPS PPC : $3.72 PAYX : $4.53
PE Ratio PPC : 7.84 PAYX : 21.83
PEG Ratio PPC : 0.01 PAYX : 1.94
PS Ratio PPC : 0.37 PAYX : 5.64
PB Ratio PPC : 1.87 PAYX : 8.89
Total Revenue (TTM) PPC : $18.57B PAYX : $6.33B
Gross Profit (TTM) PPC : $2.15B PAYX : $4.68B
EBITDA (TTM) PPC : $1.75B PAYX : $2.09B

Return for Risk

PPC vs. PAYX — Risk / Return Rank

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

PPC

PPC Risk / Return Rank: 5
PPC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 2
PPC Sortino Ratio Rank: 4
PPC Omega Ratio Rank: 5
PPC Calmar Ratio Rank: 11
PPC Martin Ratio Rank: 3

PAYX

PAYX Risk / Return Rank: 6
PAYX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 1
PAYX Sortino Ratio Rank: 3
PAYX Omega Ratio Rank: 4
PAYX Calmar Ratio Rank: 11
PAYX Martin Ratio Rank: 13

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.

PPC vs. PAYX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Pilgrim's Pride Corporation (PPC) and Paychex, Inc. (PAYX). 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.

	PPC	PAYX	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	-1.24	-1.34	+0.10
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	-1.80	-1.92	+0.12
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.79	0.77	+0.03
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.82	-0.81	-0.01
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	-1.70	-1.27	-0.43
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

PPC vs. PAYX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PPC Sharpe Ratio is -1.24, which is comparable to the PAYX Sharpe Ratio of -1.34. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PPC and PAYX, 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

	PPC	PAYX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-1.24	-1.34	+0.10
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.27	0.09	+0.18
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.10	0.38	-0.28
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.11	0.54	-0.43

Drawdowns

PPC vs. PAYX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PPC drawdown since its inception was -99.63%, which is greater than PAYX's maximum drawdown of -64.85%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PPC and PAYX.

Drawdown Indicators

	PPC	PAYX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-99.63%	-64.85%	-34.78%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-42.82%	-43.97%	+1.15%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-47.18%	-44.95%	-2.23%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-47.18%	-44.95%	-2.23%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-62.00%	-44.95%	-17.05%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-44.08%	-35.54%	-8.54%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-38.77%	-17.95%	-20.82%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	20.63%	29.02%	-8.39%

Volatility

PPC vs. PAYX - Volatility Comparison

Pilgrim's Pride Corporation (PPC) has a higher volatility of 10.66% compared to Paychex, Inc. (PAYX) at 9.62%. This indicates that PPC's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than PAYX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	PPC	PAYX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	10.66%	9.62%	+1.04%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	23.13%	20.68%	+2.45%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	28.45%	26.74%	+1.71%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	31.33%	23.73%	+7.60%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	33.27%	25.25%	+8.02%

Dividends

PPC vs. PAYX - Dividend Comparison

PPC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 7.20%, more than PAYX's 4.48% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
PAYX Paychex, Inc.	4.48%	3.76%	2.73%	2.90%	2.62%	1.90%	2.66%	2.85%	3.35%	2.82%	2.89%	3.03%
PPC Pilgrim's Pride Corporation	7.20%	21.54%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	14.48%	26.12%

Financials

PPC vs. PAYX - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Pilgrim's Pride Corporation and Paychex, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

PPC - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Pilgrim's Pride Corporation reported a gross profit of 345.49M and revenue of 4.53B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 7.6%.

PAYX - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Paychex, Inc. reported a gross profit of 1.38B and revenue of 1.81B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 76.2%.

PPC - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Pilgrim's Pride Corporation reported an operating income of 162.56M and revenue of 4.53B, resulting in an operating margin of 3.6%.

PAYX - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Paychex, Inc. reported an operating income of 792.00M and revenue of 1.81B, resulting in an operating margin of 43.8%.

PPC - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Pilgrim's Pride Corporation reported a net income of 101.42M and revenue of 4.53B, resulting in a net margin of 2.2%.

PAYX - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Paychex, Inc. reported a net income of 560.30M and revenue of 1.81B, resulting in a net margin of 31.0%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both PPC and PAYX in my portfolio?

PPC and PAYX have a correlation of 0.12, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, PPC or PAYX?

PPC has higher volatility (10.66%) compared to PAYX (9.62%). In terms of maximum drawdown, PPC dropped -99.63% vs PAYX's -64.85%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

PPC currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (-1.24 vs -1.34), 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.