VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 3, 2026

Stock Comparison

ANSYS, Inc. vs Xero Limited

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

Xero Limited

XRO · Australian Securities Exchange

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorTechnology
Industry
CountryNZ
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
71/ 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 Xero Limited's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View XRO analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Xero Limited leads (71 / 100 vs 68 / 100 for ANSYS, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: ANSYS, Inc. has 3 segments; Xero Limited has 2 segments.
  • Moat breadth: ANSYS, Inc. has 7 moat types across 3 domains; Xero Limited has 7 across 3.

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

Xero Limited

Core Accounting Subscription Platform

Market

Cloud accounting software for small businesses and their advisors

Geography

Global

Customer

SMB; accountants & bookkeepers

Role

Software platform (SaaS)

Side-by-side metrics

ANSYS, Inc.
Xero Limited
Ticker / Exchange
ANSS - Nasdaq Global Select Market
XRO - Australian Securities Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$32.9B
n/a
Gross margin (TTM)
88.8%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
28.9%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
23%
n/a
Sector
Technology
Technology
Industry
Software - Application
n/a
HQ country
US
NZ
Primary segment
Core Multiphysics Simulation Platform (CAE)
Core Accounting Subscription Platform
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
68 / 100
71 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Network, Legal
Demand, Network, Financial
Last update
2025-12-31
2026-01-02

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Suite BundlingSwitching Costs GeneralData Workflow LockinEcosystem Complements

ANSYS, Inc. strengths

Design In QualificationDe Facto StandardCompliance Advantage

Xero Limited strengths

Two Sided NetworkBenchmark Pricing PowerInteroperability Hub

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

Xero Limited segments

Full profile >

Core Accounting Subscription Platform

Oligopoly

n/a

Platform Services (Payments, Payroll, App Ecosystem)

Competitive

n/a

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.