VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. vs American Express Company

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

American Express Company

AXP · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)
SectorFinancials
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
52/ 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 American Express Company's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View AXP analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Automatic Data Processing, Inc. leads (71 / 100 vs 52 / 100 for American Express Company).
  • Segment focus: Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has 2 segments (67.5% in Employer Services); American Express Company has 4 segments (47.5% in U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs n/a.
  • Moat breadth: Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has 7 moat types across 4 domains; American Express Company has 8 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%

American Express Company

U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)

Market

U.S. premium consumer card issuing (charge and credit) and attached consumer banking and financing

Geography

United States

Customer

Consumers

Role

Issuer (proprietary cards) and consumer lender/services

Revenue share

47.5%

Side-by-side metrics

Automatic Data Processing, Inc.
American Express Company
Ticker / Exchange
ADP - NASDAQ
AXP - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$105B
n/a
Sector
Technology
Financials
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Employer Services
U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
16.7% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
n/a
Moat score
71 / 100
52 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Legal, Supply, Financial
Demand, Financial, Network
Last update
2025-12-30
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Switching Costs General

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. strengths

Compliance AdvantageScale Economies Unit CostFloat PrepaymentRegulated Standards PipeSuite BundlingUnderwriting Risk Pooling

American Express Company strengths

Brand TrustLong Term ContractsCost Of Capital AdvantageTraining Org Change CostsEcosystem ComplementsTwo Sided NetworkData Network Effects

Segment mix

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Employer Services

Oligopoly

67.5%

Professional Employer Organization (PEO) Services

Competitive

32.5%

American Express Company segments

Full profile >

U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)

Competitive

47.5%

Commercial Services (CS)

Competitive

23.9%

International Card Services (ICS)

Competitive

17.3%

Global Merchant and Network Services (GMNS)

Oligopoly

11.3%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.