VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Stock Comparison

Paychex, Inc. vs SAP SE

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

SAP SE

SAP · XETRA

Market cap (USD)$235.7B
Gross margin (TTM)73.6%
Operating margin (TTM)25.8%
Net margin (TTM)19.4%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySoftware - Application
CountryDE
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
65/ 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 SAP SE's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View SAP analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Paychex, Inc. leads (66 / 100 vs 65 / 100 for SAP SE).
  • Segment focus: Paychex, Inc. has 3 segments (73% in Management Solutions); SAP SE has 2 segments (87.3% in Cloud and Software).
  • Moat breadth: Paychex, Inc. has 7 moat types across 4 domains; SAP SE has 6 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%

SAP SE

Cloud and Software

Market

Enterprise application software suites and cloud subscriptions (ERP-centric) plus platform services

Geography

Global

Customer

Large enterprises and upper mid-market

Role

Software vendor (SaaS + on-prem support + platform)

Revenue share

87.3%

Side-by-side metrics

Paychex, Inc.
SAP SE
Ticker / Exchange
PAYX - NASDAQ Global Select Market
SAP - XETRA
Market cap (USD)
$39.4B
$235.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
73.4%
73.6%
Operating margin (TTM)
37.1%
25.8%
Net margin (TTM)
26.5%
19.4%
Sector
Industrials
Technology
Industry
Staffing & Employment Services
Software - Application
HQ country
US
DE
Primary segment
Management Solutions
Cloud and Software
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
66 / 100
65 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal, Financial
Demand, Network, Legal
Last update
2026-01-04
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow LockinSuite BundlingCompliance Advantage

Paychex, Inc. strengths

Service Field NetworkUnderwriting Risk PoolingSwitching Costs GeneralFloat Prepayment

SAP SE strengths

Ecosystem ComplementsLong Term ContractsBrand Trust

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%

SAP SE segments

Full profile >

Cloud and Software

Oligopoly

87.3%

Services

Competitive

12.7%

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.

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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.