VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

Paychex, Inc. vs Union Pacific 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

Union Pacific Corporation

UNP · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$137.6B
Gross margin (TTM)45.9%
Operating margin (TTM)40.6%
Net margin (TTM)28.7%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryRailroads
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
72/ 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 Union Pacific Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View UNP analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Union Pacific Corporation leads (72 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Paychex, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Paychex, Inc. has 3 segments (73% in Management Solutions); Union Pacific Corporation has 4 segments (34.8% in Industrial).
  • Moat breadth: Paychex, Inc. has 7 moat types across 4 domains; Union Pacific Corporation 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%

Union Pacific Corporation

Industrial

Market

Rail freight transportation for industrial commodities (chemicals and plastics, metals and minerals, forest products, energy and specialized markets)

Geography

U.S. western two-thirds with interchange to other railroads; cross-border corridors to Mexico and Canada

Customer

Chemical producers, refiners, plastics manufacturers, construction and material suppliers, metals and mining, industrial shippers

Role

Class I rail carrier / linehaul freight transport

Revenue share

34.8%

Side-by-side metrics

Paychex, Inc.
Union Pacific Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
PAYX - NASDAQ Global Select Market
UNP - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$39.4B
$137.6B
Gross margin (TTM)
73.4%
45.9%
Operating margin (TTM)
37.1%
40.6%
Net margin (TTM)
26.5%
28.7%
Sector
Industrials
Industrials
Industry
Staffing & Employment Services
Railroads
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Management Solutions
Industrial
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
66 / 100
72 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal, Financial
Legal, Supply
Last update
2026-01-04
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Paychex, Inc. strengths

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

Union Pacific Corporation strengths

Permits Rights Of WayPhysical Network DensityScale Economies Unit CostOperational ExcellenceScope Economies

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%

Union Pacific Corporation segments

Full profile >

Bulk

Oligopoly

29.7%

Industrial

Oligopoly

34.8%

Premium

Oligopoly

29.5%

Other subsidiary, accessorial and other revenues

Competitive

5.9%

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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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.