VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Stock Comparison

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. vs Synopsys, Inc.

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

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.

ATD · Toronto Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$70.7B
Gross margin (TTM)18.5%
Operating margin (TTM)5.3%
Net margin (TTM)3.6%
SectorConsumer
IndustrySpecialty Retail
CountryCA
Data as of2026-01-05
Moat score
58/ 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 Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ATD analysis

Synopsys, Inc.

SNPS · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$94.5B
Gross margin (TTM)73.1%
Operating margin (TTM)13%
Net margin (TTM)18.9%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySoftware - Infrastructure
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-29
Moat score
85/ 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 Synopsys, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View SNPS analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Synopsys, Inc. leads (85 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. has 3 segments (74% in Road transportation fuel (retail fuel and related mobility services)); Synopsys, Inc. has 2 segments (75.2% in Design Automation).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Weak vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. has 5 moat types across 2 domains; Synopsys, Inc. has 5 across 2.

Primary market context

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.

Road transportation fuel (retail fuel and related mobility services)

Market

Road transportation fuel retail (gasoline/diesel) at convenience sites; includes unmanned/automated fuel stations

Geography

North America and Europe (plus select other regions via the network)

Customer

Consumers and small fleets

Role

Fuel retailer and site operator

Revenue share

74%

Synopsys, Inc.

Design Automation

Market

Electronic design automation (EDA) software and silicon-to-systems simulation & analysis tools

Geography

Global

Customer

Semiconductor and systems companies (chip/system designers)

Role

Software + hardware tooling provider / platform

Revenue share

75.2%

Side-by-side metrics

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.
Synopsys, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ATD - Toronto Stock Exchange
SNPS - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$70.7B
$94.5B
Gross margin (TTM)
18.5%
73.1%
Operating margin (TTM)
5.3%
13%
Net margin (TTM)
3.6%
18.9%
Sector
Consumer
Technology
Industry
Specialty Retail
Software - Infrastructure
HQ country
CA
US
Primary segment
Road transportation fuel (retail fuel and related mobility services)
Design Automation
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
30%-32% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
2,140
Pricing power
Weak
Moderate
Moat score
58 / 100
85 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Demand, Supply
Last update
2026-01-05
2025-12-29

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. strengths

Physical Network DensityOperational ExcellenceBrand TrustSupply Chain ControlScope Economies

Synopsys, Inc. strengths

Switching Costs GeneralSuite BundlingCapex Knowhow ScaleDesign In QualificationInstalled Base Consumables

Segment mix

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. segments

Full profile >

Merchandise and services (in-store convenience retail)

Competitive

25.2%

Road transportation fuel (retail fuel and related mobility services)

Competitive

74%

Other revenues (ancillary energy and other income streams)

Competitive

0.8%

Synopsys, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Design Automation

Oligopoly

75.2%

Design IP

Oligopoly

24.8%

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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Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

View expansion-stage stocks

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.