VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Wide Moat StocksExpansion-Stage Stocks Home My Collections

Stock Comparison

Paychex, Inc. vs Visa 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

Visa Inc.

V · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$686.5B
Gross margin (TTM)80.4%
Operating margin (TTM)60%
Net margin (TTM)50.1%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Credit Services
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-21
Moat score
77/ 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 Visa Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View V analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Visa Inc. leads (77 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Paychex, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Paychex, Inc. has 3 segments (73% in Management Solutions); Visa Inc. has 4 segments (35.9% in Data processing revenue).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs n/a.
  • Moat breadth: Paychex, Inc. has 7 moat types across 4 domains; Visa Inc. has 7 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%

Visa Inc.

Data processing revenue

Market

Payment transaction processing (authorization, clearing and settlement) for VisaNet and related network access

Geography

Global

Customer

Issuers, acquirers, payment processors

Role

Network processor / switch (authorization, clearing, settlement)

Revenue share

35.9%

Side-by-side metrics

Paychex, Inc.
Visa Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
PAYX - NASDAQ Global Select Market
V - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$39.4B
$686.5B
Gross margin (TTM)
73.4%
80.4%
Operating margin (TTM)
37.1%
60%
Net margin (TTM)
26.5%
50.1%
Sector
Industrials
Financials
Industry
Staffing & Employment Services
Financial - Credit Services
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Management Solutions
Data processing revenue
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
n/a
Moat score
66 / 100
77 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal, Financial
Network, Demand, Supply, Legal
Last update
2026-01-04
2025-12-21

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow LockinSuite BundlingCompliance Advantage

Paychex, Inc. strengths

Service Field NetworkUnderwriting Risk PoolingSwitching Costs GeneralFloat Prepayment

Visa Inc. strengths

Two Sided NetworkBrand TrustClearing SettlementCapex Knowhow Scale

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%

Visa Inc. segments

Full profile >

Service revenue

Oligopoly

31.5%

Data processing revenue

Oligopoly

35.9%

International transaction revenue

Oligopoly

25.4%

Other revenue

Competitive

7.3%

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.