VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Baidu, Inc. vs Morningstar, Inc.

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

Baidu, Inc.

9888 · The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited

Market cap (USD)$372.8B
Gross margin (TTM)44.7%
Operating margin (TTM)-2.6%
Net margin (TTM)6.9%
SectorTechnology
IndustryInternet Content & Information
CountryCN
Data as of2025-12-28
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 Baidu, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View 9888 analysis

Morningstar, Inc.

MORN · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorFinancials
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-10
Moat score
67/ 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 Morningstar, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MORN analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Baidu, Inc. leads (71 / 100 vs 67 / 100 for Morningstar, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Baidu, Inc. has 4 segments (54.5% in Online Marketing (Search & Feed Ads)); Morningstar, Inc. has 7 segments (34.6% in Morningstar Data and Analytics).
  • Primary market structure: Quasi-Monopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Baidu, Inc. has 10 moat types across 4 domains; Morningstar, Inc. has 6 across 3.

Primary market context

Baidu, Inc.

Online Marketing (Search & Feed Ads)

Market

Chinese-language search and feed-based online marketing services

Geography

Mainland China

Customer

Advertisers (SMEs and larger enterprises) buying performance-based and feed ads

Role

Search + feed platform operator / ad marketplace

Revenue share

54.5%

Morningstar, Inc.

Morningstar Data and Analytics

Market

Investment data, research, and analytics platforms

Geography

Global

Revenue share

34.6%

Side-by-side metrics

Baidu, Inc.
Morningstar, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
9888 - The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited
MORN - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$372.8B
n/a
Gross margin (TTM)
44.7%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
-2.6%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
6.9%
n/a
Sector
Technology
Financials
Industry
Internet Content & Information
n/a
HQ country
CN
US
Primary segment
Online Marketing (Search & Feed Ads)
Morningstar Data and Analytics
Market structure
Quasi-Monopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
62%-66% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
71 / 100
67 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Network, Supply, Legal
Demand, Network, Legal
Last update
2025-12-28
2026-01-10

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow LockinRegulated Standards Pipe

Baidu, Inc. strengths

Habit DefaultBrand TrustEcosystem ComplementsCapex Knowhow ScaleLearning Curve YieldContent Rights CurrencyScale Economies Unit CostData Network Effects

Morningstar, Inc. strengths

De Facto StandardSuite BundlingTraining Org Change CostsIP Choke Point

Segment mix

Baidu, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Online Marketing (Search & Feed Ads)

Quasi-Monopoly

54.5%

AI Cloud (IaaS/PaaS/SaaS + GenAI APIs)

Oligopoly

16.3%

Intelligent Driving & Other Growth Initiatives

Oligopoly

7.4%

iQIYI (Online Entertainment)

Oligopoly

21.8%

Morningstar, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Morningstar Data and Analytics

Oligopoly

34.6%

PitchBook

Oligopoly

27.2%

Morningstar Credit

Oligopoly

12.8%

Morningstar Wealth

Competitive

10.9%

Morningstar Retirement

Competitive

5.6%

Morningstar Sustainalytics

Oligopoly

5.2%

Morningstar Indexes

Oligopoly

3.7%

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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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.