VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Stock Comparison

American Tower Corporation vs Paychex, Inc.

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

American Tower Corporation

AMT · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$82.5B
Gross margin (TTM)74.6%
Operating margin (TTM)45.9%
Net margin (TTM)28.1%
SectorReal Estate
IndustryREIT - Specialty
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
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 American Tower Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View AMT 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: American Tower Corporation leads (76 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Paychex, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: American Tower Corporation has 3 segments; Paychex, Inc. has 3 segments (73% in Management Solutions).
  • Moat breadth: American Tower Corporation has 6 moat types across 4 domains; Paychex, Inc. has 7 across 4.

Primary market context

American Tower Corporation

U.S. & Canada Communications Sites

Market

Wireless communications site leasing (macro towers, rooftops and DAS)

Geography

United States and Canada

Customer

Wireless carriers and other tenants (broadcast, data, government/municipal)

Role

Independent owner/operator of communications real estate (towerco)

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

American Tower Corporation
Paychex, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
AMT - New York Stock Exchange
PAYX - NASDAQ Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$82.5B
$39.4B
Gross margin (TTM)
74.6%
73.4%
Operating margin (TTM)
45.9%
37.1%
Net margin (TTM)
28.1%
26.5%
Sector
Real Estate
Industrials
Industry
REIT - Specialty
Staffing & Employment Services
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
U.S. & Canada Communications Sites
Management Solutions
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
76 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Legal, Supply, Network
Demand, Supply, Legal, Financial
Last update
2025-12-31
2026-01-04

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Switching Costs General

American Tower Corporation strengths

Long Term ContractsPermits Rights Of WayPhysical Network DensityInteroperability HubCapacity Moat

Paychex, Inc. strengths

Data Workflow LockinSuite BundlingService Field NetworkCompliance AdvantageUnderwriting Risk PoolingFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

American Tower Corporation segments

Full profile >

U.S. & Canada Communications Sites

Oligopoly

n/a

International Communications Sites

Oligopoly

n/a

Data Centers

Competitive

n/a

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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Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

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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.