VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

Amgen Inc. vs Norfolk Southern Corporation

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

Amgen Inc.

AMGN · Nasdaq Stock Market

Market cap (USD)$176.5B
Gross margin (TTM)66.2%
Operating margin (TTM)24.1%
Net margin (TTM)19.5%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryDrug Manufacturers - General
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-22
Moat score
70/ 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 Amgen Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View AMGN analysis

Norfolk Southern Corporation

NSC · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$65B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorIndustrials
IndustryRailroads
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
70/ 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 Norfolk Southern Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View NSC analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score: both at 70 / 100.
  • Segment focus: Amgen Inc. has 3 segments (80.1% in Core Innovative Medicines); Norfolk Southern Corporation has 3 segments (62% in Merchandise).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Amgen Inc. has 5 moat types across 3 domains; Norfolk Southern Corporation has 4 across 3.

Primary market context

Amgen Inc.

Core Innovative Medicines

Market

Branded biopharmaceutical therapies for common diseases (bone health, inflammation, oncology, cardiovascular and other specialty areas)

Geography

Global

Customer

Payers, providers, and pharmacies

Role

Drug developer/manufacturer

Revenue share

80.1%

Norfolk Southern Corporation

Merchandise

Market

Eastern U.S. freight rail transportation for industrial & consumer goods

Geography

United States (Southeast/East/Midwest; NS network + interchanges)

Customer

Manufacturers, producers, and distributors

Role

Rail carrier

Revenue share

62%

Side-by-side metrics

Amgen Inc.
Norfolk Southern Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
AMGN - Nasdaq Stock Market
NSC - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$176.5B
$65B
Gross margin (TTM)
66.2%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
24.1%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
19.5%
n/a
Sector
Healthcare
Industrials
Industry
Drug Manufacturers - General
Railroads
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Core Innovative Medicines
Merchandise
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
70 / 100
70 / 100
Moat domains
Legal, Supply, Demand
Supply, Legal, Demand
Last update
2025-12-22
2026-01-02

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Amgen Inc. strengths

IP Choke PointRegulated Standards PipeCapex Knowhow ScaleBrand TrustLearning Curve Yield

Norfolk Southern Corporation strengths

Physical Network DensityPermits Rights Of WayScale Economies Unit CostSwitching Costs General

Segment mix

Amgen Inc. segments

Full profile >

Core Innovative Medicines

Competitive

80.1%

Rare Disease Portfolio (Horizon + others)

Quasi-Monopoly

13.3%

Biosimilars

Oligopoly

6.6%

Norfolk Southern Corporation segments

Full profile >

Merchandise

Oligopoly

62%

Intermodal

Oligopoly

25%

Coal

Oligopoly

13%

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.