Automatic Data Processing, Inc. provides cloud-based human capital management (HCM) solutions worldwide. It operates in two segments, Employer Services and Professional Employer Organization (PEO). The Employer Services segment offers strategic, cloud-based platforms, and human resources (HR) outsourcing solutions. This segment's offerings include RUN Powered by ADP, a software platform for small business payroll, HR, and compliance; ADP Workforce Now, a …
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Competitive advantage assessment
Key strengths
Asset-Light ReturnsReturn profile is strong (score 0.93), supporting a capital-efficient model.
Consistent Subscription GrowthRevenue consistency is strong (score 1.00), pointing to a sticky customer base.
Key risks
Contracted Demand Looks ThinContracted demand signal is weak (score 0.38), limiting evidence of strong subscription stickiness.
Liquidity Cushion Looks ThinLiquidity position is weak (score 0.38), leaving less room for error.
The dashed ring is the peer median. Defense scores are percentile ranks
against peers, so 50 is roughly the typical company in this group.
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Automatic Data Processing, Inc. ranks #49 of 264
scored companies in Software - Application by moat score — the top 19%.
The widest moat in the group is Dave Inc. (DAVE)
at 80/100.
Moat scores for companies ranked near ADP in Software - Application
How ADP scores on the Software & SaaS Specialized defenses
Pricing Power
Score 75
· 20% of the moat score
In software, pricing power is visible in gross margin: a vendor that has to discount in order to renew gives it up first.
Recurring Revenue Stickiness
Score 66
· 18% of the moat score
Recurring revenue is the model's central claim, and it is a moat only when customers renew and expand without being re-sold each year.
Innovation Engine
Score 56
· 16% of the moat score
Software is competed away rather than depreciated, so a vendor that stops investing loses its category.
Cash Scalability
Score 64
· 18% of the moat score
The test of a software business is whether growth eventually stops consuming cash.
Capital Efficiency
Score 79
· 16% of the moat score
A software platform employs very little capital, so a genuine franchise should produce high returns on it without leverage.
Balance Sheet Resilience
Score 57
· 12% of the moat score
Software companies fund years of customer acquisition before those customers pay back, which makes access to capital a strategic variable rather than a treasury detail.
What is Automatic Data Processing, Inc.'s moat score?
Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP) scores 67 out of 100 on the StatsAlpha Moat Map, which rates its competitive advantage as moderate. It ranks #49 of 264 scored companies in Software - Application, the top 19%. The score is a weighted composite of 6 competitive defenses, each measured against industry peers of 263 companies in Software - Application. Its strongest defense is Capital Efficiency (79/100) and its weakest is Innovation Engine (56/100).
How does Automatic Data Processing, Inc. compare with other Software - Application companies?
Automatic Data Processing, Inc. ranks #49 of 264 scored companies in Software - Application by moat score. The widest moat in Software - Application is Dave Inc. (DAVE) at 80/100. The companies ranked closest are Mitek Systems, Inc. (MITK) at 67 just above it and Tyler Technologies, Inc. (TYL) at 66 just below it.
How is the moat score calculated?
Each company is scored with an industry-specific template — Software & SaaS Specialized in this case, chosen because the defenses that matter to a bank are not the ones that matter to a software company. Every defense combines several financial signals, and each signal is measured as a percentile against a peer group of 263 companies in Software - Application. The defenses are then weighted to produce the overall score out of 100.
Why is Automatic Data Processing, Inc. scored with the Software & SaaS Specialized template?
Software costs almost nothing to reproduce, so the entire economic question is whether customers keep paying. Revenue is a subscription rather than a sale, the cost of winning a customer is paid years before that customer becomes profitable, and margins arrive only if renewals hold. The Software & SaaS template scores retention, reinvestment, and the point at which growth turns into cash.
Which competitive defenses are measured for Automatic Data Processing, Inc.?
The Software & SaaS Specialized template measures 6 defenses, and ADP scores: Pricing Power (75), Recurring Revenue Stickiness (66), Innovation Engine (56), Cash Scalability (64), Capital Efficiency (79), Balance Sheet Resilience (57). Each is scored independently as a percentile against peers, so a company can be strong on one and weak on another — the overall score reflects how those defenses are weighted for this industry.
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