VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

Paychex, Inc. vs Constellation Brands, 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

Constellation Brands, Inc.

STZ · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$25B
Gross margin (TTM)51.4%
Operating margin (TTM)34.6%
Net margin (TTM)12.7%
SectorConsumer
IndustryBeverages - Wineries & Distilleries
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-23
Moat score
76/ 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 Constellation Brands, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View STZ analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Constellation Brands, Inc. leads (76 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Paychex, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Paychex, Inc. has 3 segments (73% in Management Solutions); Constellation Brands, Inc. has 2 segments (83.7% in Beer).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Paychex, Inc. has 7 moat types across 4 domains; Constellation Brands, Inc. has 4 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%

Constellation Brands, Inc.

Beer

Market

U.S. high-end beer (imported beer + above-premium American beer)

Geography

United States

Customer

Beer wholesalers/distributors; retailers; on-premise

Role

Importer/producer; marketer; supplier to distributors

Revenue share

83.7%

Side-by-side metrics

Paychex, Inc.
Constellation Brands, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
PAYX - NASDAQ Global Select Market
STZ - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$39.4B
$25B
Gross margin (TTM)
73.4%
51.4%
Operating margin (TTM)
37.1%
34.6%
Net margin (TTM)
26.5%
12.7%
Sector
Industrials
Consumer
Industry
Staffing & Employment Services
Beverages - Wineries & Distilleries
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Management Solutions
Beer
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
66 / 100
76 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal, Financial
Legal, Demand, Supply
Last update
2026-01-04
2025-12-23

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Paychex, Inc. strengths

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

Constellation Brands, Inc. strengths

Contractual ExclusivityBrand TrustDistribution ControlCapacity Moat

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%

Constellation Brands, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Beer

Oligopoly

83.7%

Wine and Spirits

Competitive

16.4%

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.