VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

Keyence Corporation vs Microsoft Corporation

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

Keyence Corporation

6861.T · Tokyo Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$87.6B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorTechnology
Industry
CountryJP
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
73/ 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 Keyence Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View 6861.T analysis

Microsoft Corporation

MSFT · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$3.5T
Gross margin (TTM)68.8%
Operating margin (TTM)46.3%
Net margin (TTM)35.7%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySoftware - Infrastructure
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-21
Moat score
84/ 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 Microsoft Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MSFT analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Microsoft Corporation leads (84 / 100 vs 73 / 100 for Keyence Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Keyence Corporation has 3 segments; Microsoft Corporation has 3 segments (42.9% in Productivity and Business Processes).
  • Moat breadth: Keyence Corporation has 7 moat types across 2 domains; Microsoft Corporation has 9 across 4.

Primary market context

Keyence Corporation

Sensors & Safety/Static Control

Market

Industrial sensors and safety/static control for factory automation

Geography

Global

Customer

Manufacturers (production/automation teams) and machine builders

Role

Component OEM and application-solution provider

Microsoft Corporation

Productivity and Business Processes

Market

Enterprise productivity & collaboration suites, business applications, and professional network platforms

Geography

Global

Customer

Enterprises, SMBs, consumers, recruiters/advertisers

Role

SaaS platform + professional network

Revenue share

42.9%

Side-by-side metrics

Keyence Corporation
Microsoft Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
6861.T - Tokyo Stock Exchange
MSFT - Nasdaq Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$87.6B
$3.5T
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
68.8%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
46.3%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
35.7%
Sector
Technology
Technology
Industry
n/a
Software - Infrastructure
HQ country
JP
US
Primary segment
Sensors & Safety/Static Control
Productivity and Business Processes
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Strong
Moat score
73 / 100
84 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Demand, Network, Supply, Legal
Last update
2026-01-02
2025-12-21

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Operational Excellence

Keyence Corporation strengths

Service Field NetworkDesign In QualificationLearning Curve YieldDistribution ControlScope EconomiesBrand Trust

Microsoft Corporation strengths

Suite BundlingData Workflow LockinLong Term ContractsTwo Sided NetworkCapex Knowhow ScaleEcosystem ComplementsDefault OS GatewayContent Rights Currency

Segment mix

Keyence Corporation segments

Full profile >

Sensors & Safety/Static Control

Oligopoly

n/a

Machine Vision, Code Reading & Laser Marking

Oligopoly

n/a

Metrology & Microscopes

Oligopoly

n/a

Microsoft Corporation segments

Full profile >

Productivity and Business Processes

Oligopoly

42.9%

Intelligent Cloud

Oligopoly

37.7%

More Personal Computing

Quasi-Monopoly

19.4%

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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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.