VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Stock Comparison

Paychex, Inc. vs Pfizer Inc.

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

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

Pfizer Inc.

PFE · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$143.1B
Gross margin (TTM)71.2%
Operating margin (TTM)27.8%
Net margin (TTM)15.6%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryDrug Manufacturers - General
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-29
Moat score
58/ 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 Pfizer Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View PFE analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Paychex, Inc. leads (66 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Pfizer Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Paychex, Inc. has 3 segments (73% in Management Solutions); Pfizer Inc. has 5 segments (47.4% in Primary Care).
  • Moat breadth: Paychex, Inc. has 7 moat types across 4 domains; Pfizer Inc. has 8 across 3.

Primary market context

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%

Pfizer Inc.

Primary Care

Market

Branded primary care medicines and vaccines (incl. cardiovascular, migraine, pneumococcal/RSV/COVID-19)

Geography

Global

Customer

Healthcare providers, payers/PBMs, pharmacies/wholesalers, and government procurement

Role

Innovator biopharma (R&D + manufacturing + commercialization)

Revenue share

47.4%

Side-by-side metrics

Paychex, Inc.
Pfizer Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
PAYX - NASDAQ Global Select Market
PFE - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$39.4B
$143.1B
Gross margin (TTM)
73.4%
71.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
37.1%
27.8%
Net margin (TTM)
26.5%
15.6%
Sector
Industrials
Healthcare
Industry
Staffing & Employment Services
Drug Manufacturers - General
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Management Solutions
Primary Care
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
66 / 100
58 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal, Financial
Legal, Demand, Supply
Last update
2026-01-04
2025-12-29

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Compliance Advantage

Paychex, Inc. strengths

Data Workflow LockinSuite BundlingService Field NetworkUnderwriting Risk PoolingSwitching Costs GeneralFloat Prepayment

Pfizer Inc. strengths

IP Choke PointProcurement InertiaGovernment Contracting RelationshipsCapex Knowhow ScaleLong Term ContractsOperational ExcellenceEmbedded R&D partnership platform

Segment mix

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%

Pfizer Inc. segments

Full profile >

Primary Care

Oligopoly

47.4%

Specialty Care

Oligopoly

26.2%

Oncology

Competitive

24.5%

Pfizer CentreOne

Competitive

1.8%

Pfizer Ignite

Competitive

0.1%

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.