VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. vs United Parcel Service, 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

United Parcel Service, Inc.

UPS · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$86.5B
Gross margin (TTM)18.1%
Operating margin (TTM)9.3%
Net margin (TTM)6.2%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryIntegrated Freight & Logistics
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-22
Moat score
72/ 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 United Parcel Service, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View UPS analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: United Parcel Service, Inc. leads (72 / 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)); United Parcel Service, Inc. has 3 segments (66.3% in U.S. Domestic Package).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Weak vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. has 5 moat types across 2 domains; United Parcel Service, Inc. has 8 across 3.

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%

United Parcel Service, Inc.

U.S. Domestic Package

Market

U.S. small parcel and time-definite package delivery

Geography

United States

Customer

B2B and B2C shippers (including e-commerce)

Role

Integrated parcel carrier (pickup, sort, linehaul, last-mile)

Revenue share

66.3%

Side-by-side metrics

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.
United Parcel Service, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ATD - Toronto Stock Exchange
UPS - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$70.7B
$86.5B
Gross margin (TTM)
18.5%
18.1%
Operating margin (TTM)
5.3%
9.3%
Net margin (TTM)
3.6%
6.2%
Sector
Consumer
Industrials
Industry
Specialty Retail
Integrated Freight & Logistics
HQ country
CA
US
Primary segment
Road transportation fuel (retail fuel and related mobility services)
U.S. Domestic Package
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
34.3% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
2,639
Pricing power
Weak
Moderate
Moat score
58 / 100
72 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Supply, Financial, Demand
Last update
2026-01-05
2025-12-22

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Physical Network DensityOperational ExcellenceBrand TrustScope Economies

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. strengths

Supply Chain Control

United Parcel Service, Inc. strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostBenchmark Pricing PowerData Workflow LockinService Field Network

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%

United Parcel Service, Inc. segments

Full profile >

U.S. Domestic Package

Oligopoly

66.3%

International Package

Oligopoly

19.7%

Supply Chain Solutions

Competitive

14%

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.

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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.