VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. vs Guidewire Software, 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)$107.6B
Gross margin (TTM)49.3%
Operating margin (TTM)19.2%
Net margin (TTM)19.8%
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

Guidewire Software, Inc.

GWRE · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$15.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorTechnology
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-11
Moat score
63/ 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 Guidewire Software, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View GWRE analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Automatic Data Processing, Inc. leads (71 / 100 vs 63 / 100 for Guidewire Software, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has 2 segments (67.5% in Employer Services); Guidewire Software, Inc. has 2 segments (81.8% in Core P&C insurance platform software (InsuranceSuite, InsuranceNow, Guidewire Cloud Platform)).
  • Moat breadth: Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has 7 moat types across 4 domains; Guidewire Software, Inc. has 7 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%

Guidewire Software, Inc.

Core P&C insurance platform software (InsuranceSuite, InsuranceNow, Guidewire Cloud Platform)

Market

Property & casualty insurance core systems platforms (policy administration, claims, billing) with cloud delivery

Geography

Global

Customer

Property & casualty insurers (global carriers to regional/local providers)

Role

Vertical enterprise application vendor / cloud platform operator

Revenue share

81.8%

Side-by-side metrics

Automatic Data Processing, Inc.
Guidewire Software, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ADP - NASDAQ
GWRE - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$107.6B
$15.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
49.3%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
19.2%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
19.8%
n/a
Sector
Technology
Technology
Industry
Staffing & Employment Services
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Employer Services
Core P&C insurance platform software (InsuranceSuite, InsuranceNow, Guidewire Cloud Platform)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
16.7% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
71 / 100
63 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Legal, Supply, Financial
Demand, Network, Legal, Supply
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-11

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Switching Costs GeneralCompliance AdvantageSuite Bundling

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostFloat PrepaymentRegulated Standards PipeUnderwriting Risk Pooling

Guidewire Software, Inc. strengths

Long Term ContractsEcosystem ComplementsCapex Knowhow ScaleDesign In Qualification

Segment mix

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Employer Services

Oligopoly

67.5%

Professional Employer Organization (PEO) Services

Competitive

32.5%

Guidewire Software, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Core P&C insurance platform software (InsuranceSuite, InsuranceNow, Guidewire Cloud Platform)

Oligopoly

81.8%

Professional services (implementation, cloud migration, integration)

Competitive

18.2%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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

View the moat stocks list

Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

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

View expansion-stage stocks

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.