VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

Amazon.com, Inc. vs Norfolk Southern Corporation

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

Amazon.com, Inc.

AMZN · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$2.4T
Gross margin (TTM)50.1%
Operating margin (TTM)11%
Net margin (TTM)11.1%
SectorConsumer
IndustrySpecialty Retail
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-29
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 Amazon.com, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View AMZN 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 gap: Amazon.com, Inc. leads (87 / 100 vs 70 / 100 for Norfolk Southern Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Amazon.com, Inc. has 4 segments (73.5% in Amazon Stores (Retail, Marketplace, Prime Subscriptions)); Norfolk Southern Corporation has 3 segments (62% in Merchandise).
  • Moat breadth: Amazon.com, Inc. has 10 moat types across 4 domains; Norfolk Southern Corporation has 4 across 3.

Primary market context

Amazon.com, Inc.

Amazon Stores (Retail, Marketplace, Prime Subscriptions)

Market

US retail ecommerce marketplace and online retail (integrated fulfillment + membership shipping)

Geography

United States

Customer

Consumers and third-party merchants

Role

Marketplace operator, retailer, and fulfillment provider

Revenue share

73.5%

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

Amazon.com, Inc.
Norfolk Southern Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
AMZN - NASDAQ
NSC - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$2.4T
$65B
Gross margin (TTM)
50.1%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
11%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
11.1%
n/a
Sector
Consumer
Industrials
Industry
Specialty Retail
Railroads
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Amazon Stores (Retail, Marketplace, Prime Subscriptions)
Merchandise
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
39%-42% (estimated)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
87 / 100
70 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Network, Financial
Supply, Legal, Demand
Last update
2025-12-29
2026-01-02

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Physical Network Density

Amazon.com, Inc. strengths

Capex Knowhow ScaleScope EconomiesLong Term ContractsTwo Sided NetworkSuite BundlingHabit DefaultNegative Working CapitalDistribution ControlData Network Effects

Norfolk Southern Corporation strengths

Permits Rights Of WayScale Economies Unit CostSwitching Costs General

Segment mix

Amazon.com, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Oligopoly

16.9%

Amazon Stores (Retail, Marketplace, Prime Subscriptions)

Oligopoly

73.5%

Advertising Services (Amazon Ads / Retail Media)

Oligopoly

8.8%

Other (healthcare, content licensing/distribution, shipping services, co-branded credit card agreements, etc.)

Competitive

0.9%

Norfolk Southern Corporation segments

Full profile >

Merchandise

Oligopoly

62%

Intermodal

Oligopoly

25%

Coal

Oligopoly

13%

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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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.