VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 3, 2026

Stock Comparison

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. vs Xero Limited

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)$102.7B
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

Xero Limited

XRO · Australian Securities Exchange

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorTechnology
Industry
CountryNZ
Data as of2026-01-02
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 Xero Limited's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View XRO analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score: both at 71 / 100.
  • Segment focus: Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has 2 segments (67.5% in Employer Services); Xero Limited has 2 segments.
  • Moat breadth: Automatic Data Processing, Inc. has 7 moat types across 4 domains; Xero Limited has 7 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%

Xero Limited

Core Accounting Subscription Platform

Market

Cloud accounting software for small businesses and their advisors

Geography

Global

Customer

SMB; accountants & bookkeepers

Role

Software platform (SaaS)

Side-by-side metrics

Automatic Data Processing, Inc.
Xero Limited
Ticker / Exchange
ADP - NASDAQ
XRO - Australian Securities Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$102.7B
n/a
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
NZ
Primary segment
Employer Services
Core Accounting Subscription 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
71 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Legal, Supply, Financial
Demand, Network, Financial
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-02

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Switching Costs GeneralSuite Bundling

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. strengths

Compliance AdvantageScale Economies Unit CostFloat PrepaymentRegulated Standards PipeUnderwriting Risk Pooling

Xero Limited strengths

Data Workflow LockinTwo Sided NetworkBenchmark Pricing PowerInteroperability HubEcosystem Complements

Segment mix

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Employer Services

Oligopoly

67.5%

Professional Employer Organization (PEO) Services

Competitive

32.5%

Xero Limited segments

Full profile >

Core Accounting Subscription Platform

Oligopoly

n/a

Platform Services (Payments, Payroll, App Ecosystem)

Competitive

n/a

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.