VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

Amgen Inc. vs Paychex, Inc.

Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.

Amgen Inc.

AMGN · Nasdaq Stock Market

Market cap (USD)$172.7B
Gross margin (TTM)66.2%
Operating margin (TTM)24.1%
Net margin (TTM)19.5%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryDrug Manufacturers - General
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-22
Moat score
70/ 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 Amgen Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View AMGN analysis

Paychex, Inc.

PAYX · NASDAQ Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$39.4B
Gross margin (TTM)73.4%
Operating margin (TTM)37.1%
Net margin (TTM)26.5%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryStaffing & Employment Services
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-04
Moat score
66/ 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 Paychex, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View PAYX analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Amgen Inc. leads (70 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Paychex, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Amgen Inc. has 3 segments (80.1% in Core Innovative Medicines); Paychex, Inc. has 3 segments (73% in Management Solutions).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Amgen Inc. has 5 moat types across 3 domains; Paychex, Inc. has 7 across 4.

Primary market context

Amgen Inc.

Core Innovative Medicines

Market

Branded biopharmaceutical therapies for common diseases (bone health, inflammation, oncology, cardiovascular and other specialty areas)

Geography

Global

Customer

Payers, providers, and pharmacies

Role

Drug developer/manufacturer

Revenue share

80.1%

Paychex, Inc.

Management Solutions

Market

Payroll processing and integrated HCM solutions for SMB and mid-market employers

Geography

United States (primarily)

Customer

Employers (SMB and mid-market)

Role

HCM SaaS + outsourced payroll/HR service provider

Revenue share

73%

Side-by-side metrics

Amgen Inc.
Paychex, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
AMGN - Nasdaq Stock Market
PAYX - NASDAQ Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$172.7B
$39.4B
Gross margin (TTM)
66.2%
73.4%
Operating margin (TTM)
24.1%
37.1%
Net margin (TTM)
19.5%
26.5%
Sector
Healthcare
Industrials
Industry
Drug Manufacturers - General
Staffing & Employment Services
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Core Innovative Medicines
Management Solutions
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
70 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Legal, Supply, Demand
Demand, Supply, Legal, Financial
Last update
2025-12-22
2026-01-04

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Amgen Inc. strengths

IP Choke PointRegulated Standards PipeCapex Knowhow ScaleBrand TrustLearning Curve Yield

Paychex, Inc. strengths

Data Workflow LockinSuite BundlingService Field NetworkCompliance AdvantageUnderwriting Risk PoolingSwitching Costs GeneralFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

Amgen Inc. segments

Full profile >

Core Innovative Medicines

Competitive

80.1%

Rare Disease Portfolio (Horizon + others)

Quasi-Monopoly

13.3%

Biosimilars

Oligopoly

6.6%

Paychex, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Management Solutions

Oligopoly

73%

PEO and Insurance Solutions

Competitive

24.1%

Client funds float (interest on funds held for clients)

Oligopoly

2.9%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.