VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

ANSYS, Inc. vs Global Payments Inc.

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

ANSYS, Inc.

ANSS · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$32.9B
Gross margin (TTM)88.8%
Operating margin (TTM)28.9%
Net margin (TTM)23%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySoftware - Application
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
Moat score
68/ 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 ANSYS, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ANSS 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: ANSYS, Inc. leads (68 / 100 vs 62 / 100 for Global Payments Inc.).
  • Segment focus: ANSYS, Inc. 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: ANSYS, Inc. has 7 moat types across 3 domains; Global Payments Inc. has 6 across 4.

Primary market context

ANSYS, Inc.

Core Multiphysics Simulation Platform (CAE)

Market

Multiphysics engineering simulation (CAE) software

Geography

Global

Customer

Enterprises and academia

Role

Engineering design, verification, and validation software

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

ANSYS, Inc.
Global Payments Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ANSS - Nasdaq Global Select Market
GPN - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$32.9B
$18.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
88.8%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
28.9%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
23%
n/a
Sector
Technology
Financials
Industry
Software - Application
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Core Multiphysics Simulation Platform (CAE)
Merchant Solutions
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
68 / 100
62 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Network, Legal
Network, Demand, Supply, Legal
Last update
2025-12-31
2026-01-10

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Switching Costs GeneralData Workflow LockinEcosystem ComplementsCompliance Advantage

ANSYS, Inc. strengths

Suite BundlingDesign In QualificationDe Facto Standard

Global Payments Inc. strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostLong Term Contracts

Segment mix

ANSYS, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Core Multiphysics Simulation Platform (CAE)

Oligopoly

n/a

Electronics & Semiconductor Simulation (EDA-adjacent)

Oligopoly

n/a

Digital Mission Engineering & Safety-Critical Tooling

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?

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.