VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. vs Paychex, Inc.

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

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.

CMG · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$51.6B
Gross margin (TTM)25.7%
Operating margin (TTM)16.4%
Net margin (TTM)13%
SectorConsumer
IndustryRestaurants
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-26
Moat score
62/ 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 Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CMG 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: Paychex, Inc. leads (66 / 100 vs 62 / 100 for Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Restaurant operations (company-owned Chipotle restaurants)); Paychex, Inc. has 3 segments (73% in Management Solutions).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has 4 moat types across 2 domains; Paychex, Inc. has 7 across 4.

Primary market context

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.

Restaurant operations (company-owned Chipotle restaurants)

Market

Fast-casual restaurants (Mexican-inspired, made-to-order)

Geography

Primarily United States; limited international presence

Customer

Consumers

Role

Company-operated restaurant operator

Revenue share

100%

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

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.
Paychex, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CMG - New York Stock Exchange
PAYX - NASDAQ Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$51.6B
$39.4B
Gross margin (TTM)
25.7%
73.4%
Operating margin (TTM)
16.4%
37.1%
Net margin (TTM)
13%
26.5%
Sector
Consumer
Industrials
Industry
Restaurants
Staffing & Employment Services
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Restaurant operations (company-owned Chipotle restaurants)
Management Solutions
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
62 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply
Demand, Supply, Legal, Financial
Last update
2025-12-26
2026-01-04

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. strengths

Brand TrustSupply Chain ControlOperational ExcellenceHabit Default

Paychex, Inc. strengths

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

Segment mix

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Restaurant operations (company-owned Chipotle restaurants)

Competitive

100%

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.