VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Stock Comparison

Paychex, Inc. vs SBA Communications Corporation

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

SBA Communications Corporation

SBAC · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$20.4B
Gross margin (TTM)75.4%
Operating margin (TTM)51.1%
Net margin (TTM)30.7%
SectorReal Estate
IndustryREIT - Specialty
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
71/ 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 SBA Communications Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View SBAC analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: SBA Communications Corporation leads (71 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Paychex, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Paychex, Inc. has 3 segments (73% in Management Solutions); SBA Communications Corporation has 3 segments (69.5% in Domestic Site Leasing).
  • Moat breadth: Paychex, Inc. has 7 moat types across 4 domains; SBA Communications Corporation has 4 across 2.

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%

SBA Communications Corporation

Domestic Site Leasing

Market

U.S. wireless macro tower leasing (multi-tenant co-location on communications towers)

Geography

United States and territories

Customer

Wireless service providers and other wireless network operators/tenants

Role

Independent tower owner/operator (REIT)

Revenue share

69.5%

Side-by-side metrics

Paychex, Inc.
SBA Communications Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
PAYX - NASDAQ Global Select Market
SBAC - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$39.4B
$20.4B
Gross margin (TTM)
73.4%
75.4%
Operating margin (TTM)
37.1%
51.1%
Net margin (TTM)
26.5%
30.7%
Sector
Industrials
Real Estate
Industry
Staffing & Employment Services
REIT - Specialty
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Management Solutions
Domestic Site Leasing
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
16%-19% (implied)
HHI estimate
n/a
3,710
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
66 / 100
71 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal, Financial
Supply, Demand
Last update
2026-01-04
2026-01-02

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Paychex, Inc. strengths

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

SBA Communications Corporation strengths

Physical Network DensityLong Term ContractsScale Economies Unit CostOperational Excellence

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%

SBA Communications Corporation segments

Full profile >

Domestic Site Leasing

Oligopoly

69.5%

International Site Leasing

Oligopoly

24.8%

Site Development

Competitive

5.7%

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.