Which is better, MMM or PAYX?

On the Buffett-Fit framework, Paychex, Inc. (PAYX) currently grades higher than MMM — 74/100 (B grade) vs 36/100 (D). That said, "better" depends on which framework you trust — MMM wins on none; PAYX wins on Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Philip Fisher, Peter Lynch, Joel Greenblatt, Charlie Munger, and Terry Smith. The full pillar breakdown is on this page.

Should I buy MMM or PAYX?

This page is an educational comparison, not investment advice. Both MMM and PAYX are graded against the same Buffett 5-pillar framework (moat, earnings durability, management quality, financial health, valuation) plus six other documented investor frameworks. Read the side-by-side breakdown to see which one matches the criteria you care about most — and always do your own research before making any investment decision.

Is MMM better than PAYX for value investing?

On the Buffett-style value-investing framework, PAYX currently grades higher — 74/100 vs 36/100, a 38-point gap. The gap is driven by which pillars each stock passes; the table on this page shows moat, durability, management, financial health, and valuation side-by-side.

What's the difference between MMM and PAYX on Warren Buffett's framework?

Both stocks are evaluated on the same five pillars: economic moat (durable competitive advantage), earnings durability (consistent profitability), management quality (capital allocation), financial health (conservative balance sheet), and valuation (margin of safety). MMM currently scores 36/100 (D grade); PAYX scores 74/100 (B grade). The "Where each wins" section on this page breaks down which pillar each stock dominates.

Which has the stronger moat, MMM or PAYX?

Moat strength is one of the five pillars in the Buffett-Fit score on this page. MMM and PAYX are each scored on ROIC sustainability, gross-margin durability, and qualitative signals like brand strength, switching costs, network effects, and regulatory barriers. The pillar breakdown on this page shows the moat sub-score side-by-side so you can see which one has the more durable competitive advantage.

Which is more undervalued, MMM or PAYX?

Valuation is one of the five Buffett-Fit pillars on this page. Both stocks are scored on owner-earnings yield, price-to-intrinsic-value vs the underlying compounding rate, and the margin of safety relative to a conservative DCF. The valuation sub-score in the table below tells you which one currently trades at a more attractive price relative to its underlying business quality.

Are MMM and PAYX both Industrials stocks?

Yes — both 3M Company (MMM) and Paychex, Inc. (PAYX) operate in the Industrials sector. That makes this a direct sector-peer comparison, which is the apples-to-apples way to use the Buffett-Fit framework: the score weighs each stock against its sector's specific quality and valuation benchmarks (sector-relative bonus), so the cross-stock comparison isn't distorted by inter-sector base-rate differences.

Is this MMM vs PAYX comparison investment advice?

No. This page is an educational pattern-match against documented public frameworks (Buffett, Graham, Fisher, Lynch, Greenblatt, Munger, Smith), not personalised investment advice. The scores reflect how closely each stock matches each framework's documented criteria — they are not buy/hold/sell recommendations. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial adviser for personalised advice.

Stock comparison

3M

Paychex

Scored across Buffett, Graham, Lynch and Greenblatt - plus a side-by-side metric table covering valuation, quality, growth and balance sheet.

MMM

Market cap

$79.51B

Sector

Industrials

PAYX

Paychex

Market cap

$34.75B

Sector

Industrials

Overall winner

Paychex PAYX

Wins on the combined sum of fit scores across all four strategies. Per-strategy breakdown below.

Fit scores by strategy

Strategy	MMM	PAYX	Winner
Warren Buffett	36D	74B	PAYX
Benjamin Graham	67D	72B	PAYX
Philip Fisher	27F	71B	PAYX
Peter Lynch	29F	58C	PAYX
Joel Greenblatt	38D	44D	PAYX
Charlie Munger	43D	81A	PAYX
Terry Smith	28F	81A	PAYX

Side-by-side metrics

Metric	MMM	PAYX
Market cap	$79.51B	$34.75B
P/E (TTM)	27.8x	19.7x
EV/EBIT	18.6x	14.9x
ROIC (TTM)	13.02%	17.77%
Gross margin	39.51%	73.93%
Net margin	11.14%	25.84%
Revenue CAGR 5y	-8.35%	8.26%
EPS CAGR 5y	-12.34%	10.82%
Debt / Equity	3.8x	1.2x
Dividend yield	2.03%	4.93%

Where each one wins

The metrics with the biggest gap between the two - sorted so the most decisive edges read first.

MMM leads on

Market cap$79.51Bvs $34.75B+56%

PAYX leads on

Revenue CAGR 5y8.26%vs -8.35%+199%
EPS CAGR 5y10.82%vs -12.34%+188%
Debt / Equity1.2xvs 3.8x+68%
Dividend yield4.93%vs 2.03%+59%

Educational tool. Fit scores are deterministic projections from public financials onto each investor's published criteria - not personal recommendations or advice.

3M

Paychex

Fit scores by strategy

Side-by-side metrics

Where each one wins

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