VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Stock Comparison

DLocal Limited vs Paychex, Inc.

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

DLocal Limited

DLO · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$4.3B
Gross margin (TTM)38.6%
Operating margin (TTM)20.8%
Net margin (TTM)17.8%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySoftware - Infrastructure
CountryUY
Data as of2025-12-27
Moat score
53/ 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 DLocal Limited's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View DLO 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 53 / 100 for DLocal Limited).
  • Segment focus: DLocal Limited has 1 segment; Paychex, Inc. has 3 segments (73% in Management Solutions).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: DLocal Limited has 4 moat types across 3 domains; Paychex, Inc. has 7 across 4.

Primary market context

DLocal Limited

Payment processing platform (Pay-ins & Pay-outs)

Market

Cross-border payment processing for global merchants in emerging markets

Geography

Global; emerging markets focus (Africa, Asia, Latin America, Middle East)

Customer

Enterprise merchants and platforms

Role

Payment service provider / processor

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

DLocal Limited
Paychex, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
DLO - Nasdaq Global Select Market
PAYX - NASDAQ Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$4.3B
$39.4B
Gross margin (TTM)
38.6%
73.4%
Operating margin (TTM)
20.8%
37.1%
Net margin (TTM)
17.8%
26.5%
Sector
Technology
Industrials
Industry
Software - Infrastructure
Staffing & Employment Services
HQ country
UY
US
Primary segment
Payment processing platform (Pay-ins & Pay-outs)
Management Solutions
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
53 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Legal, Demand
Demand, Supply, Legal, Financial
Last update
2025-12-27
2026-01-04

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Compliance AdvantageSwitching Costs General

DLocal Limited strengths

Capex Knowhow ScaleOperational Excellence

Paychex, Inc. strengths

Data Workflow LockinSuite BundlingService Field NetworkUnderwriting Risk PoolingFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

DLocal Limited segments

Full profile >

Payment processing platform (Pay-ins & Pay-outs)

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.