VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

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Thursday, January 8, 2026

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Stock Comparison

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. vs Paychex, Inc.

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

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.

HLT · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$66.4B
Gross margin (TTM)27.8%
Operating margin (TTM)22%
Net margin (TTM)14.2%
SectorConsumer
IndustryTravel Lodging
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-01
Moat score
72/ 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 Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View HLT 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: Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. leads (72 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Paychex, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. has 2 segments (72.7% in Management and Franchise); Paychex, Inc. has 3 segments (73% in Management Solutions).
  • Moat breadth: Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. has 5 moat types across 3 domains; Paychex, Inc. has 7 across 4.

Primary market context

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.

Management and Franchise

Market

Hotel management, franchising and brand licensing

Geography

Global

Customer

Third-party hotel owners / franchisees and strategic partners

Role

Franchisor / manager / IP licensor

Revenue share

72.7%

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

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.
Paychex, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
HLT - New York Stock Exchange
PAYX - NASDAQ Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$66.4B
$39.4B
Gross margin (TTM)
27.8%
73.4%
Operating margin (TTM)
22%
37.1%
Net margin (TTM)
14.2%
26.5%
Sector
Consumer
Industrials
Industry
Travel Lodging
Staffing & Employment Services
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Management and Franchise
Management Solutions
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
13%-15% (implied)
n/a
HHI estimate
1,350
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
72 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand, Supply
Demand, Supply, Legal, Financial
Last update
2026-01-01
2026-01-04

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. strengths

Two Sided NetworkLong Term ContractsScale Economies Unit CostBrand TrustEcosystem Complements

Paychex, Inc. strengths

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

Segment mix

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. segments

Full profile >

Management and Franchise

Oligopoly

72.7%

Ownership

Competitive

27.3%

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.