VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

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Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Wide Moat Stocks Home My Collections

Stock Comparison

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. vs MSCI 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

MSCI Inc.

MSCI · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$43.7B
SectorFinancials
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-28
Moat score
76/ 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 MSCI Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MSCI analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: MSCI Inc. leads (76 / 100 vs 71 / 100 for Automatic Data Processing, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has 2 segments (67.5% in Employer Services); MSCI Inc. has 4 segments (55.9% in Index).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has 7 moat types across 4 domains; MSCI Inc. has 4 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%

MSCI Inc.

Index

Market

Investment indexes and index licensing

Geography

Global

Customer

Institutional investors and asset managers

Role

Index provider / benchmark administrator

Revenue share

55.9%

Side-by-side metrics

Automatic Data Processing, Inc.
MSCI Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ADP - NASDAQ
MSCI - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$105B
$43.7B
Sector
Technology
Financials
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Employer Services
Index
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
16.7% (reported)
23%-27% (implied)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
71 / 100
76 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Legal, Supply, Financial
Network, Demand, Legal
Last update
2025-12-30
2025-12-28

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Switching Costs GeneralCompliance Advantage

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostFloat PrepaymentRegulated Standards PipeSuite BundlingUnderwriting Risk Pooling

MSCI Inc. strengths

De Facto StandardData Workflow Lockin

Segment mix

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Employer Services

Oligopoly

67.5%

Professional Employer Organization (PEO) Services

Competitive

32.5%

MSCI Inc. segments

Full profile >

Index

Oligopoly

55.9%

Analytics

Oligopoly

23.6%

Sustainability and Climate

Competitive

11.4%

Private Assets

Competitive

9%

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.