VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Global Payments Inc. vs Paychex, Inc.

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

Global Payments Inc.

GPN · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$18.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorFinancials
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-10
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 Global Payments Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View GPN analysis

Paychex, Inc.

PAYX · NASDAQ Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$41B
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 Global Payments Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Global Payments Inc. has 2 segments (76.1% in Merchant Solutions); Paychex, Inc. has 3 segments (73% in Management Solutions).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Global Payments Inc. has 6 moat types across 4 domains; Paychex, Inc. has 7 across 4.

Primary market context

Global Payments Inc.

Merchant Solutions

Market

Merchant acquiring and integrated payments (card-present and e-commerce)

Geography

Global

Customer

Merchants (SMB to enterprise) and software platforms

Role

Acquirer and payment processor

Revenue share

76.1%

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

Global Payments Inc.
Paychex, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
GPN - New York Stock Exchange
PAYX - NASDAQ Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$18.8B
$41B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
73.4%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
37.1%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
26.5%
Sector
Financials
Industrials
Industry
n/a
Staffing & Employment Services
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Merchant Solutions
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
Network, Demand, Supply, Legal
Demand, Supply, Legal, Financial
Last update
2026-01-10
2026-01-04

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow LockinSwitching Costs GeneralCompliance Advantage

Global Payments Inc. strengths

Ecosystem ComplementsScale Economies Unit CostLong Term Contracts

Paychex, Inc. strengths

Suite BundlingService Field NetworkUnderwriting Risk PoolingFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

Global Payments Inc. segments

Full profile >

Merchant Solutions

Competitive

76.1%

Issuer Solutions

Oligopoly

24.6%

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?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

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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.