VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. vs UnitedHealth Group Incorporated

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

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated

UNH · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$123.8B
SectorHealthcare
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
Moat score
64/ 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 UnitedHealth Group Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View UNH analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Automatic Data Processing, Inc. leads (71 / 100 vs 64 / 100 for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated).
  • Segment focus: Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has 2 segments (67.5% in Employer Services); UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has 4 segments (74.9% in UnitedHealthcare).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Weak.
  • Moat breadth: Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has 7 moat types across 4 domains; UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has 5 across 2.

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%

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated

UnitedHealthcare

Market

U.S. health benefits / managed care (commercial, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid managed care)

Geography

United States (primarily)

Customer

Employers, individuals, and government-sponsored programs

Role

Health insurer / managed care organization

Revenue share

74.9%

Side-by-side metrics

Automatic Data Processing, Inc.
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
ADP - NASDAQ
UNH - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$105B
$123.8B
Sector
Technology
Healthcare
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Employer Services
UnitedHealthcare
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
16.7% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Weak
Moat score
71 / 100
64 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Legal, Supply, Financial
Supply, Demand
Last update
2025-12-30
2025-12-31

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Scale Economies Unit CostSuite Bundling

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. strengths

Switching Costs GeneralCompliance AdvantageFloat PrepaymentRegulated Standards PipeUnderwriting Risk Pooling

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated strengths

Operational ExcellenceData Workflow LockinTraining Org Change Costs

Segment mix

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Employer Services

Oligopoly

67.5%

Professional Employer Organization (PEO) Services

Competitive

32.5%

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated segments

Full profile >

UnitedHealthcare

Oligopoly

74.9%

Optum Health

Competitive

9.9%

Optum Insight

Competitive

1.7%

Optum Rx

Oligopoly

13.5%

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.