VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

Paychex, Inc. vs U.S. Bancorp

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

U.S. Bancorp

USB · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$86.3B
Gross margin (TTM)61.1%
Operating margin (TTM)21.4%
Net margin (TTM)16.9%
SectorFinancials
IndustryBanks - Regional
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-23
Moat score
62/ 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 U.S. Bancorp's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View USB analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Paychex, Inc. leads (66 / 100 vs 62 / 100 for U.S. Bancorp).
  • Segment focus: Paychex, Inc. has 3 segments (73% in Management Solutions); U.S. Bancorp has 3 segments (42.8% in Wealth, Corporate, Commercial and Institutional Banking).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Paychex, Inc. has 7 moat types across 4 domains; U.S. Bancorp has 8 across 4.

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%

U.S. Bancorp

Wealth, Corporate, Commercial and Institutional Banking

Market

U.S. corporate, commercial, institutional and wealth banking & advisory services

Geography

United States

Customer

Commercial, institutional, government and wealth clients

Role

Bank / financial intermediary

Revenue share

42.8%

Side-by-side metrics

Paychex, Inc.
U.S. Bancorp
Ticker / Exchange
PAYX - NASDAQ Global Select Market
USB - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$39.4B
$86.3B
Gross margin (TTM)
73.4%
61.1%
Operating margin (TTM)
37.1%
21.4%
Net margin (TTM)
26.5%
16.9%
Sector
Industrials
Financials
Industry
Staffing & Employment Services
Banks - Regional
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Management Solutions
Wealth, Corporate, Commercial and Institutional Banking
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
66 / 100
62 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal, Financial
Demand, Supply, Legal, Financial
Last update
2026-01-04
2025-12-23

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow LockinSuite BundlingCompliance Advantage

Paychex, Inc. strengths

Service Field NetworkUnderwriting Risk PoolingSwitching Costs GeneralFloat Prepayment

U.S. Bancorp strengths

Scope EconomiesPhysical Network DensityHabit DefaultCost Of Capital AdvantageScale 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%

U.S. Bancorp segments

Full profile >

Wealth, Corporate, Commercial and Institutional Banking

Competitive

42.8%

Consumer and Business Banking

Oligopoly

32.5%

Payment Services

Oligopoly

24.7%

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.

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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.