VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. vs American Express Company

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

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

AJG · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$67.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorFinancials
IndustryInsurance - Brokers
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-09
Moat score
69/ 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 Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View AJG analysis

American Express Company

AXP · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$262.1B
Gross margin (TTM)83%
Operating margin (TTM)17.1%
Net margin (TTM)13.4%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Credit Services
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
52/ 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 American Express Company's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View AXP analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. leads (69 / 100 vs 52 / 100 for American Express Company).
  • Segment focus: Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has 2 segments (86% in Brokerage); American Express Company has 4 segments (47.5% in U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs n/a.
  • Moat breadth: Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has 4 moat types across 2 domains; American Express Company has 8 across 3.

Primary market context

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Brokerage

Market

Insurance and reinsurance brokerage and consulting

Geography

Global

Customer

Commercial, industrial, public sector, nonprofit and other organizations; underwriting enterprises for reinsurance placements

Role

Intermediary / broker / advisor

Revenue share

86%

American Express Company

U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)

Market

U.S. premium consumer card issuing (charge and credit) and attached consumer banking and financing

Geography

United States

Customer

Consumers

Role

Issuer (proprietary cards) and consumer lender/services

Revenue share

47.5%

Side-by-side metrics

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
American Express Company
Ticker / Exchange
AJG - New York Stock Exchange
AXP - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$67.9B
$262.1B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
83%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
17.1%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
13.4%
Sector
Financials
Financials
Industry
Insurance - Brokers
Financial - Credit Services
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Brokerage
U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
n/a
Moat score
69 / 100
52 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Demand, Financial, Network
Last update
2026-01-09
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand Trust

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. strengths

Service Field NetworkData Workflow LockinOperational Excellence

American Express Company strengths

Switching Costs GeneralLong Term ContractsCost Of Capital AdvantageTraining Org Change CostsEcosystem ComplementsTwo Sided NetworkData Network Effects

Segment mix

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. segments

Full profile >

Brokerage

Oligopoly

86%

Risk Management

Competitive

14%

American Express Company segments

Full profile >

U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)

Competitive

47.5%

Commercial Services (CS)

Competitive

23.9%

International Card Services (ICS)

Competitive

17.3%

Global Merchant and Network Services (GMNS)

Oligopoly

11.3%

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.