VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. vs Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.

Automatic Data Processing, Inc.

ADP · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$105B
SectorTechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
71/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into Automatic Data Processing, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ADP analysis

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

APD · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$55.1B
SectorMaterials
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-27
Moat score
70/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View APD analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Automatic Data Processing, Inc. leads (71 / 100 vs 70 / 100 for Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has 2 segments (67.5% in Employer Services); Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has 3 segments (51.3% in On-site industrial gases (incl. pipelines)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has 7 moat types across 4 domains; Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has 6 across 3.

Primary market context

Automatic Data Processing, Inc.

Employer Services

Market

Payroll processing and cloud HCM (HR, time, talent, tax, benefits) software and outsourcing

Geography

Global

Customer

Businesses (SMB to large enterprise)

Role

SaaS and managed services provider

Revenue share

67.5%

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

On-site industrial gases (incl. pipelines)

Market

On-site supply of industrial gases (oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, etc.)

Geography

Global

Customer

Large-volume industrial customers (refining, chemicals, metals, electronics)

Role

Producer / operator of on-site plants and pipeline networks

Revenue share

51.3%

Side-by-side metrics

Automatic Data Processing, Inc.
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ADP - NASDAQ
APD - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$105B
$55.1B
Sector
Technology
Materials
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Employer Services
On-site industrial gases (incl. pipelines)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
16.7% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
71 / 100
70 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Legal, Supply, Financial
Demand, Legal, Supply
Last update
2025-12-30
2025-12-27

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. strengths

Switching Costs GeneralCompliance AdvantageScale Economies Unit CostFloat PrepaymentRegulated Standards PipeSuite BundlingUnderwriting Risk Pooling

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. strengths

Long Term ContractsPermits Rights Of WayCapex Knowhow ScalePhysical Network DensityInstalled Base ConsumablesOperational Excellence

Segment mix

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Employer Services

Oligopoly

67.5%

Professional Employer Organization (PEO) Services

Competitive

32.5%

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. segments

Full profile >

On-site industrial gases (incl. pipelines)

Oligopoly

51.3%

Merchant gases (liquid bulk + packaged)

Competitive

44.3%

Industrial gases equipment (cryogenic & gas processing)

Competitive

4.3%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

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Curation & Accuracy

This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).

Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.