VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Applied Materials, Inc. vs Global Payments Inc.

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

Applied Materials, Inc.

AMAT · The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

Market cap (USD)$239.9B
Gross margin (TTM)48.7%
Operating margin (TTM)29.2%
Net margin (TTM)24.7%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySemiconductors
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-22
Moat score
76/ 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 Applied Materials, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View AMAT analysis

Global Payments Inc.

GPN · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$18.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorFinancials
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-10
Moat score
62/ 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 Global Payments Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View GPN analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Applied Materials, Inc. leads (76 / 100 vs 62 / 100 for Global Payments Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Applied Materials, Inc. has 2 segments (73.3% in Semiconductor Systems); Global Payments Inc. has 2 segments (76.1% in Merchant Solutions).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Applied Materials, Inc. has 7 moat types across 3 domains; Global Payments Inc. has 6 across 4.

Primary market context

Applied Materials, Inc.

Semiconductor Systems

Market

Wafer fabrication equipment (WFE) and adjacent front-end process equipment (deposition, etch, CMP, metrology/inspection) plus advanced packaging tools

Geography

Global

Customer

Semiconductor manufacturers (foundry, logic, memory) and advanced packaging providers

Role

OEM equipment supplier

Revenue share

73.3%

Global Payments Inc.

Merchant Solutions

Market

Merchant acquiring and integrated payments (card-present and e-commerce)

Geography

Global

Customer

Merchants (SMB to enterprise) and software platforms

Role

Acquirer and payment processor

Revenue share

76.1%

Side-by-side metrics

Applied Materials, Inc.
Global Payments Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
AMAT - The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
GPN - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$239.9B
$18.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
48.7%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
29.2%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
24.7%
n/a
Sector
Technology
Financials
Industry
Semiconductors
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Semiconductor Systems
Merchant Solutions
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
16%-20% (implied)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
76 / 100
62 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Legal
Network, Demand, Supply, Legal
Last update
2025-12-22
2026-01-10

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Long Term Contracts

Applied Materials, Inc. strengths

Scope EconomiesCapex Knowhow ScaleDesign In QualificationIP Choke PointInstalled Base ConsumablesService Field Network

Global Payments Inc. strengths

Ecosystem ComplementsData Workflow LockinScale Economies Unit CostSwitching Costs GeneralCompliance Advantage

Segment mix

Applied Materials, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Semiconductor Systems

Oligopoly

73.3%

Applied Global Services (AGS)

Competitive

22.5%

Global Payments Inc. segments

Full profile >

Merchant Solutions

Competitive

76.1%

Issuer Solutions

Oligopoly

24.6%

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.

View expansion-stage stocks

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.