VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Stock Comparison

Paychex, Inc. vs Xero Limited

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

Xero Limited

XRO · Australian Securities Exchange

Market cap (USD)$18.2B
Gross margin (TTM)85.3%
Operating margin (TTM)17.6%
Net margin (TTM)11.5%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySoftware - Application
CountryNZ
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
71/ 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 Xero Limited's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View XRO analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Xero Limited leads (71 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Paychex, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Paychex, Inc. has 3 segments (73% in Management Solutions); Xero Limited has 2 segments.
  • Moat breadth: Paychex, Inc. has 7 moat types across 4 domains; Xero Limited has 7 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%

Xero Limited

Core Accounting Subscription Platform

Market

Cloud accounting software for small businesses and their advisors

Geography

Global

Customer

SMB; accountants & bookkeepers

Role

Software platform (SaaS)

Side-by-side metrics

Paychex, Inc.
Xero Limited
Ticker / Exchange
PAYX - NASDAQ Global Select Market
XRO - Australian Securities Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$39.4B
$18.2B
Gross margin (TTM)
73.4%
85.3%
Operating margin (TTM)
37.1%
17.6%
Net margin (TTM)
26.5%
11.5%
Sector
Industrials
Technology
Industry
Staffing & Employment Services
Software - Application
HQ country
US
NZ
Primary segment
Management Solutions
Core Accounting Subscription Platform
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
66 / 100
71 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal, Financial
Demand, Network, Financial
Last update
2026-01-04
2026-01-02

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow LockinSuite BundlingSwitching Costs General

Paychex, Inc. strengths

Service Field NetworkCompliance AdvantageUnderwriting Risk PoolingFloat Prepayment

Xero Limited strengths

Two Sided NetworkBenchmark Pricing PowerInteroperability HubEcosystem Complements

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%

Xero Limited segments

Full profile >

Core Accounting Subscription Platform

Oligopoly

n/a

Platform Services (Payments, Payroll, App Ecosystem)

Competitive

n/a

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.