VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. vs VeriSign, 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

VeriSign, Inc.

VRSN · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)
SectorTechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
Moat score
100/ 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 VeriSign, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View VRSN analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: VeriSign, Inc. leads (100 / 100 vs 71 / 100 for Automatic Data Processing, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has 2 segments (67.5% in Employer Services); VeriSign, Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Naming Services (.com and .net registry)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Monopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has 7 moat types across 4 domains; VeriSign, Inc. has 4 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%

VeriSign, Inc.

Naming Services (.com and .net registry)

Market

Registry operator services for .com and .net top-level domains (domain registrations + authoritative DNS resolution)

Geography

Global

Customer

ICANN-accredited domain registrars (wholesale) and, indirectly, registrants

Role

Registry operator / DNS infrastructure provider

Revenue share

100%

Side-by-side metrics

Automatic Data Processing, Inc.
VeriSign, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ADP - NASDAQ
VRSN - Nasdaq Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$105B
n/a
Sector
Technology
Technology
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Employer Services
Naming Services (.com and .net registry)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Monopoly
Market share
16.7% (reported)
100% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
10,000
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
71 / 100
100 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Legal, Supply, Financial
Legal, Network, Supply, Financial
Last update
2025-12-30
2025-12-31

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Float Prepayment

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. strengths

Switching Costs GeneralCompliance AdvantageScale Economies Unit CostRegulated Standards PipeSuite BundlingUnderwriting Risk Pooling

VeriSign, Inc. strengths

Concession LicenseDe Facto StandardOperational Excellence

Segment mix

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Employer Services

Oligopoly

67.5%

Professional Employer Organization (PEO) Services

Competitive

32.5%

VeriSign, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Naming Services (.com and .net registry)

Monopoly

100%

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

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.