VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

American Tower Corporation vs Global Payments Inc.

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

American Tower Corporation

AMT · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$78.9B
Gross margin (TTM)74.6%
Operating margin (TTM)45.9%
Net margin (TTM)28.1%
SectorReal Estate
IndustryREIT - Specialty
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
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 American Tower Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View AMT 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: American Tower Corporation leads (76 / 100 vs 62 / 100 for Global Payments Inc.).
  • Segment focus: American Tower Corporation has 3 segments; Global Payments Inc. has 2 segments (76.1% in Merchant Solutions).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: American Tower Corporation has 6 moat types across 4 domains; Global Payments Inc. has 6 across 4.

Primary market context

American Tower Corporation

U.S. & Canada Communications Sites

Market

Wireless communications site leasing (macro towers, rooftops and DAS)

Geography

United States and Canada

Customer

Wireless carriers and other tenants (broadcast, data, government/municipal)

Role

Independent owner/operator of communications real estate (towerco)

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

American Tower Corporation
Global Payments Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
AMT - New York Stock Exchange
GPN - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$78.9B
$18.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
74.6%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
45.9%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
28.1%
n/a
Sector
Real Estate
Financials
Industry
REIT - Specialty
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
U.S. & Canada Communications Sites
Merchant Solutions
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
76 / 100
62 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Legal, Supply, Network
Network, Demand, Supply, Legal
Last update
2025-12-31
2026-01-10

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Long Term ContractsSwitching Costs General

American Tower Corporation strengths

Permits Rights Of WayPhysical Network DensityInteroperability HubCapacity Moat

Global Payments Inc. strengths

Ecosystem ComplementsData Workflow LockinScale Economies Unit CostCompliance Advantage

Segment mix

American Tower Corporation segments

Full profile >

U.S. & Canada Communications Sites

Oligopoly

n/a

International Communications Sites

Oligopoly

n/a

Data Centers

Competitive

n/a

Global Payments Inc. segments

Full profile >

Merchant Solutions

Competitive

76.1%

Issuer Solutions

Oligopoly

24.6%

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.