ADP vs CARR: how the two businesses compare

  • Similar size: CARR and ADP each brought in about $21.7B of yearly revenue.
  • More profitable: ADP keeps 20 cents of each sales dollar as profit, against 7 cents at CARR.
  • More cash from each sale: ADP turns 24 cents of each sales dollar into operating cash flow, against 12 cents at CARR.

From each company's latest annual SEC filing. Fiscal years can end on different dates.

Carrier Global (CARR) and Automatic Data Processing (ADP) reported similar revenue: $21.7B (fiscal year ended Dec 2025) versus $20.6B (fiscal year ended Jun 2025). ADP's net margin was 19.8% and CARR's 6.8%. The SEC classifies them differently (Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation; Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip); what connects them is shared exposure to the Economic trends research theme, not a common industry.

Figures come from each company's own SEC filings. This page compares the businesses; it is not a price target or a verdict.

Sector
Industrials
SEC industry
Different
Separate classifications
Fiscal year ends
Different
ADP June 30 · CARR December 31
Reviewed
Aug 5, 2026

ADP vs CARR: quick comparison

Company factADPCARR
CompanyAutomatic Data Processing, Inc.Carrier Global Corporation
ExchangeNASDAQNYSE
SEC industryServices-Computer Processing & Data PreparationAir-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip
Fiscal year-endJune 30December 31
Latest annual filing10-K · 2026-08-0510-K · 2026-02-05

ADP vs CARR: audited financials

  • Scale: revenue is roughly in line ($21.7B for CARR versus $20.6B for ADP).
  • Net margin: ADP kept 19.8% of revenue as net income versus 6.8% at CARR.
  • Cash conversion: operating cash flow equalled ADP 24.0% of revenue, or 1.21× net income; CARR 11.6% of revenue, or 1.69× net income. A ratio well above 1× usually reflects non-cash charges or working-capital release; well below 1× can reflect working-capital build or non-cash gains.
  • Periods: the fiscal years end about 6 months apart (2025-06-30 for ADP, 2025-12-31 for CARR), so each figure reflects somewhat different demand and cost conditions.

ADP: FY ending 2025-06-30 · CARR: FY ending 2025-12-31. Figures as tagged in each issuer's SEC XBRL filing; fiscal calendars may not align.

Where ADP and CARR overlap, and where they don't

Overlap

  • Shared research theme: Economic trends.

Differences

  • Different SEC industries: ADP files as Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation; CARR as Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip.
  • Offset fiscal calendars: ADP's year ends June 30 and CARR's December 31, about 6 months apart.
  • Profitability: net margin of 19.8% for ADP versus 6.8% for CARR.

Overlap is drawn from SEC classifications and Yield Theory research themes. It is not evidence that the companies sell to the same customers or compete product for product.

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP)

Automatic Data Processing provides payroll processing and human-capital management software.

Carrier Global Corporation (CARR)

Carrier Global makes heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigeration systems.

What moves each company

Company-specific drivers maintained by Yield Theory. Use them to decide which filing deserves deeper work; they are not predictions.

What moves ADP

We have not yet published a company-specific driver list for ADP. The primary source is Item 1 (Business) and Item 1A (Risk Factors) of its 10-K filed 2026-08-05.

What moves CARR

We have not yet published a company-specific driver list for CARR. The primary source is Item 1 (Business) and Item 1A (Risk Factors) of its 10-K filed 2026-02-05.

The investment question

You now know how ADP and CARR are classified, when their fiscal years end, and where their exposures overlap. Those are the facts. The investment question is what each share price already assumes about their exposure to economic trends, and which evidence in the next filings would prove that assumption wrong.

Members-only research

What members are reading this month

The thesis, the numbers behind it, and what would break it. Full access is $39 a month.

Read the full research

SEC filing comparison and disclosure evidence

Start with primary filings because fiscal calendars and accounting presentation can make superficially similar quarters incomparable. ADP's fiscal year ends June 30, while CARR's ends December 31. Normalize the reporting periods before comparing growth, margins, capital intensity, or guidance.

The current verified House and Senate snapshot contains 17 matched transaction rows for ADP and 20 matched transaction rows for CARR. These delayed, range-based disclosures can identify a filing to inspect; they do not establish motive, conviction, or a real-time trading signal.

What this comparison cannot tell you

This page does not contain licensed live prices, a valuation model, earnings estimates, portfolio constraints, or a forecast of future returns. SEC classifications can be broad, company descriptions can lag strategic change, and the latest annual filing may predate a material acquisition or divestiture. Read subsequent quarterly and current reports before making a decision.

A stronger business is not automatically the better stock. Starting valuation, expectations, capital structure, cyclicality, dilution, and the probability of each thesis determine the investment outcome. Use this comparison to frame the work, then verify the numbers in the linked filings and current company disclosures.

ADP vs CARR FAQs

Are ADP and CARR direct competitors?

Not necessarily. Automatic Data Processing files as Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation and Carrier Global as Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip. The pair is compared because both map to the Economic trends research theme, not because the filings show head-to-head competition.

Is ADP or CARR the bigger company by revenue?

Carrier Global (CARR) and Automatic Data Processing (ADP) reported similar revenue: $21.7B (fiscal year ended Dec 2025) versus $20.6B (fiscal year ended Jun 2025). ADP's net margin was 19.8% and CARR's 6.8%. The SEC classifies them differently (Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation; Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip); what connects them is shared exposure to the Economic trends research theme, not a common industry. Each figure is the annual amount tagged in the company's own SEC XBRL filing; market value depends on live prices, which this page does not publish.

Which is better, ADP or CARR?

There is no context-free winner. Compare the operating exposures, filing evidence, valuation, balance sheet, and risks against the specific thesis you are testing. This page deliberately does not turn a static profile into a buy or sell recommendation.

Does this ADP vs CARR comparison include live prices?

No. Yield Theory does not republish unlicensed real-time market data. The financial figures on this page are the audited annual numbers Automatic Data Processing, Inc. and Carrier Global Corporation tagged in their SEC XBRL filings. Use a regulated broker or licensed quote provider for current prices and valuation multiples.

Where does the company information come from?

Company classifications, fiscal year-ends, and filing links come from the SEC EDGAR submissions API snapshot refreshed 2026-10-10. Business summaries and research themes are maintained by Yield Theory.

Data snapshot: SEC EDGAR submissions API, refreshed 2026-10-10. Independent educational research; not investment advice.

Which business differences matter to the investment thesis?

ADP vs CARR compares reported results. The reports below show how we connect operating evidence to an investment thesis, its assumptions, catalysts, and risks. $39/month or $249/year.

$39/mo or $249/yr · cancel future renewals anytime · sources included