VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Stock Comparison

Apple Inc. vs MercadoLibre, Inc.

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

Apple Inc.

AAPL · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$3.9T
Gross margin (TTM)47.3%
Operating margin (TTM)32.4%
Net margin (TTM)27%
SectorTechnology
IndustryConsumer Electronics
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-20
Moat score
87/ 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 Apple Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View AAPL analysis

MercadoLibre, Inc.

MELI · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$101.2B
Gross margin (TTM)45.1%
Operating margin (TTM)12%
Net margin (TTM)7.9%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySpecialty Retail
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-29
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 MercadoLibre, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MELI analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Apple Inc. leads (87 / 100 vs 73 / 100 for MercadoLibre, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Apple Inc. has 5 segments (50.4% in iPhone); MercadoLibre, Inc. has 2 segments (58.5% in Commerce (Marketplace, logistics, ads, classifieds)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Apple Inc. has 7 moat types across 3 domains; MercadoLibre, Inc. has 6 across 4.

Primary market context

Apple Inc.

iPhone

Market

Smartphones (with focus on premium smartphones and iOS ecosystem devices)

Geography

Global

Customer

Consumers and enterprises (end-users), plus carrier/retail channels

Role

OEM / platform owner

Revenue share

50.4%

MercadoLibre, Inc.

Commerce (Marketplace, logistics, ads, classifieds)

Market

Latin American e-commerce marketplace and commerce services (online marketplace, 1P retail, fulfillment/logistics, advertising)

Geography

Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and other countries)

Customer

Consumers (buyers) and merchants/brands (sellers), including MSMEs

Role

Marketplace operator + retailer + logistics orchestrator

Revenue share

58.5%

Side-by-side metrics

Apple Inc.
MercadoLibre, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
AAPL - NASDAQ
MELI - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$3.9T
$101.2B
Gross margin (TTM)
47.3%
45.1%
Operating margin (TTM)
32.4%
12%
Net margin (TTM)
27%
7.9%
Sector
Technology
Technology
Industry
Consumer Electronics
Specialty Retail
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
iPhone
Commerce (Marketplace, logistics, ads, classifieds)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
14%-17% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Moderate
Moat score
87 / 100
73 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Network, Supply
Network, Supply, Demand, Legal
Last update
2025-12-20
2025-12-29

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Ecosystem ComplementsSwitching Costs GeneralTwo Sided Network

Apple Inc. strengths

Brand TrustScale Economies Unit CostDefault OS GatewayInstalled Base Consumables

MercadoLibre, Inc. strengths

Distribution ControlData Workflow LockinCompliance Advantage

Segment mix

Apple Inc. segments

Full profile >

iPhone

Oligopoly

50.4%

Mac

Oligopoly

8.1%

iPad

Oligopoly

6.7%

Wearables, Home and Accessories

Competitive

8.6%

Services

Quasi-Monopoly

26.2%

MercadoLibre, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Commerce (Marketplace, logistics, ads, classifieds)

Oligopoly

58.5%

Fintech (Mercado Pago & credit)

Competitive

41.5%

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.