VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

Stock Comparison

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited vs VeriSign, Inc.

Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited

2330 · Taiwan Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$1.9T
Gross margin (TTM)61.9%
Operating margin (TTM)53.3%
Net margin (TTM)47%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySemiconductors
CountryTW
Data as of2026-05-26
Moat score
100/ 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 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View 2330 analysis

VeriSign, Inc.

VRSN · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$27B
Gross margin (TTM)88.4%
Operating margin (TTM)67.9%
Net margin (TTM)50%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySoftware - Infrastructure
CountryUS
Data as of2026-05-26
Moat score
100/ 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 VeriSign, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View VRSN analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score: both at 100 / 100.
  • Segment focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited has 1 segment (100% in Semiconductor foundry services); VeriSign, Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Naming Services (.com and .net registry)).
  • Primary market structure: Quasi-Monopoly vs Monopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited has 5 moat types across 3 domains; VeriSign, Inc. has 4 across 4.

Primary market context

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited

Semiconductor foundry services

Market

Global outsourced semiconductor foundry services

Geography

Global, with 1Q26 customer-headquarters revenue 76% North America, 9% Asia Pacific, 7% China, 4% Japan and 4% EMEA

Customer

Fabless IC designers, system companies, integrated device manufacturers and platform OEMs

Role

Pure-play foundry, advanced packaging, mask-making, design-support and testing manufacturing partner

Revenue share

100%

VeriSign, Inc.

Naming Services (.com and .net registry)

Market

Registry operator services for .com and .net top-level domains (domain registrations + authoritative DNS resolution)

Geography

Global

Customer

ICANN-accredited domain registrars (wholesale) and, indirectly, registrants

Role

Registry operator / DNS infrastructure provider

Revenue share

100%

Side-by-side metrics

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
VeriSign, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
2330 - Taiwan Stock Exchange
VRSN - Nasdaq Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$1.9T
$27B
Gross margin (TTM)
61.9%
88.4%
Operating margin (TTM)
53.3%
67.9%
Net margin (TTM)
47%
50%
Sector
Technology
Technology
Industry
Semiconductors
Software - Infrastructure
HQ country
TW
US
Primary segment
Semiconductor foundry services
Naming Services (.com and .net registry)
Market structure
Quasi-Monopoly
Monopoly
Market share
69.9%-70.4% (reported)
100% (reported)
HHI estimate
5,010
10,000
Pricing power
Strong
Strong
Moat score
100 / 100
100 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Network
Legal, Network, Supply, Financial
Last update
2026-05-26
2026-05-26

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited strengths

Capex Knowhow ScaleLearning Curve YieldDesign In QualificationEcosystem ComplementsCapacity Moat

VeriSign, Inc. strengths

Concession LicenseDe Facto StandardOperational ExcellenceFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited segments

Full profile >

Semiconductor foundry services

Quasi-Monopoly

100%

VeriSign, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Naming Services (.com and .net registry)

Monopoly

100%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.