VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

Baidu, Inc. vs VeriSign, 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)
SectorTechnology
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

VeriSign, Inc.

VRSN · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)
SectorTechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
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 gap: VeriSign, Inc. leads (100 / 100 vs 71 / 100 for Baidu, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Baidu, Inc. has 4 segments (54.5% in Online Marketing (Search & Feed Ads)); VeriSign, Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Naming Services (.com and .net registry)).
  • Primary market structure: Quasi-Monopoly vs Monopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Baidu, Inc. has 10 moat types across 4 domains; VeriSign, Inc. has 4 across 4.

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%

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

Baidu, Inc.
VeriSign, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
9888 - The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited
VRSN - Nasdaq Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
n/a
n/a
Sector
Technology
Technology
HQ country
CN
US
Primary segment
Online Marketing (Search & Feed Ads)
Naming Services (.com and .net registry)
Market structure
Quasi-Monopoly
Monopoly
Market share
62%-66% (reported)
100% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
10,000
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
71 / 100
100 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Network, Supply, Legal
Legal, Network, Supply, Financial
Last update
2025-12-28
2025-12-31

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Baidu, Inc. strengths

Habit DefaultBrand TrustEcosystem ComplementsCapex Knowhow ScaleData Workflow LockinLearning Curve YieldRegulated Standards PipeContent Rights CurrencyScale Economies Unit CostData Network Effects

VeriSign, Inc. strengths

Concession LicenseDe Facto StandardOperational ExcellenceFloat Prepayment

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%

VeriSign, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Naming Services (.com and .net registry)

Monopoly

100%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.