VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. vs Paychex, Inc.

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

LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

LPLA · Nasdaq

Market cap (USD)$29.6B
Gross margin (TTM)24.1%
Operating margin (TTM)9.5%
Net margin (TTM)5.4%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Capital Markets
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-26
Moat score
79/ 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 LPL Financial Holdings Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View LPLA 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: LPL Financial Holdings Inc. leads (79 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Paychex, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Advisor Platform); Paychex, Inc. has 3 segments (73% in Management Solutions).
  • Moat breadth: LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has 6 moat types across 4 domains; Paychex, Inc. has 7 across 4.

Primary market context

LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

Advisor Platform

Market

Advisor-mediated wealth management platform (independent broker-dealer + RIA custody/clearing)

Geography

United States

Customer

Financial advisors and financial institutions

Role

Platform / broker-dealer / custodian

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

LPL Financial Holdings Inc.
Paychex, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
LPLA - Nasdaq
PAYX - NASDAQ Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$29.6B
$39.4B
Gross margin (TTM)
24.1%
73.4%
Operating margin (TTM)
9.5%
37.1%
Net margin (TTM)
5.4%
26.5%
Sector
Financials
Industrials
Industry
Financial - Capital Markets
Staffing & Employment Services
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Advisor Platform
Management Solutions
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
23%-25% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
79 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Legal, Network
Demand, Supply, Legal, Financial
Last update
2025-12-26
2026-01-04

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Suite BundlingCompliance AdvantageSwitching Costs General

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostOperational ExcellenceTwo Sided Network

Paychex, Inc. strengths

Data Workflow LockinService Field NetworkUnderwriting Risk PoolingFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. segments

Full profile >

Advisor Platform

Oligopoly

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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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.