VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

Paychex, Inc. vs Thomson Reuters 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

Thomson Reuters Corporation

TRI · Toronto Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$80.2B
Gross margin (TTM)88.6%
Operating margin (TTM)33.9%
Net margin (TTM)23.8%
SectorIndustrials
IndustrySpecialty Business Services
CountryCA
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
84/ 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 Thomson Reuters Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View TRI analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Thomson Reuters Corporation leads (84 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Paychex, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Paychex, Inc. has 3 segments (73% in Management Solutions); Thomson Reuters Corporation has 5 segments (40.1% in Legal Professionals).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Duopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Paychex, Inc. has 7 moat types across 4 domains; Thomson Reuters Corporation 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%

Thomson Reuters Corporation

Legal Professionals

Market

Legal research and legal workflow software

Geography

Global

Customer

Law firms, corporate legal departments, and governments

Role

Subscription software + proprietary legal content

Revenue share

40.1%

Side-by-side metrics

Paychex, Inc.
Thomson Reuters Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
PAYX - NASDAQ Global Select Market
TRI - Toronto Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$39.4B
$80.2B
Gross margin (TTM)
73.4%
88.6%
Operating margin (TTM)
37.1%
33.9%
Net margin (TTM)
26.5%
23.8%
Sector
Industrials
Industrials
Industry
Staffing & Employment Services
Specialty Business Services
HQ country
US
CA
Primary segment
Management Solutions
Legal Professionals
Market structure
Oligopoly
Duopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
66 / 100
84 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal, Financial
Demand, Legal, Supply
Last update
2026-01-04
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow Lockin

Paychex, Inc. strengths

Suite BundlingService Field NetworkCompliance AdvantageUnderwriting Risk PoolingSwitching Costs GeneralFloat Prepayment

Thomson Reuters Corporation strengths

Regulated Standards PipeBrand TrustScale Economies Unit Cost

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%

Thomson Reuters Corporation segments

Full profile >

Legal Professionals

Duopoly

40.1%

Corporates

Oligopoly

25.3%

Tax & Accounting Professionals

Oligopoly

16%

Reuters News

Oligopoly

11.4%

Global Print

Competitive

7.1%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.