VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

Stock Comparison

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. vs Equifax 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)$87B
Gross margin (TTM)47.5%
Operating margin (TTM)19.2%
Net margin (TTM)20.1%
SectorTechnology
IndustryStaffing & Employment Services
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

Equifax Inc.

EFX · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$19.7B
Gross margin (TTM)44.7%
Operating margin (TTM)18.3%
Net margin (TTM)11.1%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryConsulting Services
CountryUS
Data as of2026-05-26
Moat score
78/ 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 Equifax Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View EFX analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Equifax Inc. leads (78 / 100 vs 71 / 100 for Automatic Data Processing, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has 2 segments (67.5% in Employer Services); Equifax Inc. has 4 segments (36.7% in U.S. Information Solutions).
  • Moat breadth: Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has 7 moat types across 4 domains; Equifax Inc. has 8 across 4.

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%

Equifax Inc.

U.S. Information Solutions

Market

U.S. consumer and commercial credit information, mortgage credit, identity, fraud, analytics and financial marketing services

Geography

United States

Customer

Banks, mortgage lenders, auto lenders, credit card issuers, telecoms, utilities, merchants, resellers, and consumers

Role

Consumer reporting agency, credit-data supplier, decisioning workflow provider, fraud/identity data provider and mortgage-data distributor

Revenue share

36.7%

Side-by-side metrics

Automatic Data Processing, Inc.
Equifax Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ADP - NASDAQ
EFX - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$87B
$19.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
47.5%
44.7%
Operating margin (TTM)
19.2%
18.3%
Net margin (TTM)
20.1%
11.1%
Sector
Technology
Industrials
Industry
Staffing & Employment Services
Consulting Services
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Employer Services
U.S. Information Solutions
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
16.7% (reported)
25%-35% (estimated)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
71 / 100
78 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Legal, Supply, Financial
Network, Legal, Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-05-26

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Compliance Advantage

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. strengths

Switching Costs GeneralScale Economies Unit CostFloat PrepaymentRegulated Standards PipeSuite BundlingUnderwriting Risk Pooling

Equifax Inc. strengths

Data Network EffectsTwo Sided NetworkContractual ExclusivityTraining Org Change CostsDe Facto StandardData Workflow LockinGeographic Natural

Segment mix

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Employer Services

Oligopoly

67.5%

Professional Employer Organization (PEO) Services

Competitive

32.5%

Equifax Inc. segments

Full profile >

Workforce Verification Services

Quasi-Monopoly

34.7%

Workforce Employer Services

Competitive

6.8%

U.S. Information Solutions

Oligopoly

36.7%

International

Oligopoly

21.8%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

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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.