VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Stock Comparison

Paychex, Inc. vs UnitedHealth Group Incorporated

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

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated

UNH · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$309.8B
Gross margin (TTM)19.7%
Operating margin (TTM)6.1%
Net margin (TTM)4%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryMedical - Healthcare Plans
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
Moat score
64/ 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 UnitedHealth Group Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View UNH analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Paychex, Inc. leads (66 / 100 vs 64 / 100 for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated).
  • Segment focus: Paychex, Inc. has 3 segments (73% in Management Solutions); UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has 4 segments (74.9% in UnitedHealthcare).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Weak.
  • Moat breadth: Paychex, Inc. has 7 moat types across 4 domains; UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has 5 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%

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated

UnitedHealthcare

Market

U.S. health benefits / managed care (commercial, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid managed care)

Geography

United States (primarily)

Customer

Employers, individuals, and government-sponsored programs

Role

Health insurer / managed care organization

Revenue share

74.9%

Side-by-side metrics

Paychex, Inc.
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
PAYX - NASDAQ Global Select Market
UNH - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$39.4B
$309.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
73.4%
19.7%
Operating margin (TTM)
37.1%
6.1%
Net margin (TTM)
26.5%
4%
Sector
Industrials
Healthcare
Industry
Staffing & Employment Services
Medical - Healthcare Plans
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Management Solutions
UnitedHealthcare
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Weak
Moat score
66 / 100
64 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal, Financial
Supply, Demand
Last update
2026-01-04
2025-12-31

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow LockinSuite Bundling

Paychex, Inc. strengths

Service Field NetworkCompliance AdvantageUnderwriting Risk PoolingSwitching Costs GeneralFloat Prepayment

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostOperational ExcellenceTraining Org Change Costs

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%

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated segments

Full profile >

UnitedHealthcare

Oligopoly

74.9%

Optum Health

Competitive

9.9%

Optum Insight

Competitive

1.7%

Optum Rx

Oligopoly

13.5%

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.