VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

American Express Company vs Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

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

American Express Company

AXP · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)
SectorFinancials
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
52/ 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 American Express Company's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View AXP analysis

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

BRK.B · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)
SectorFinancials
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
64/ 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 Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View BRK.B analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Berkshire Hathaway Inc. leads (64 / 100 vs 52 / 100 for American Express Company).
  • Segment focus: American Express Company has 4 segments (47.5% in U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)); Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has 11 segments (28.3% in Insurance (underwriting + investment income)).
  • Moat breadth: American Express Company has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has 17 across 4.

Primary market context

American Express Company

U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)

Market

U.S. premium consumer card issuing (charge and credit) and attached consumer banking and financing

Geography

United States

Customer

Consumers

Role

Issuer (proprietary cards) and consumer lender/services

Revenue share

47.5%

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

Insurance (underwriting + investment income)

Market

Insurance and reinsurance (property and casualty + life/health), including float-funded investing

Geography

Global

Customer

Consumers and businesses (policyholders) and insurers (reinsurance cedents)

Role

Underwriter and reinsurer plus investment manager of float

Revenue share

28.3%

Side-by-side metrics

American Express Company
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
AXP - New York Stock Exchange
BRK.B - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
n/a
n/a
Sector
Financials
Financials
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)
Insurance (underwriting + investment income)
Market structure
Competitive
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
n/a
n/a
Moat score
52 / 100
64 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Financial, Network
Financial, Supply, Demand, Legal
Last update
2025-12-30
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustLong Term ContractsCost Of Capital AdvantageTraining Org Change Costs

American Express Company strengths

Switching Costs GeneralEcosystem ComplementsTwo Sided NetworkData Network Effects

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. strengths

Float PrepaymentCapacity MoatPhysical Network DensityConcession LicensePermits Rights Of WayDesign In QualificationCapex Knowhow ScaleIP Choke PointScale Economies Unit CostDistribution ControlPreferential Input AccessService Field NetworkScope Economies

Segment mix

American Express Company segments

Full profile >

U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)

Competitive

47.5%

Commercial Services (CS)

Competitive

23.9%

International Card Services (ICS)

Competitive

17.3%

Global Merchant and Network Services (GMNS)

Oligopoly

11.3%

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. segments

Full profile >

Insurance (underwriting + investment income)

Competitive

28.3%

BNSF Railway (freight rail transportation)

Oligopoly

6.4%

Berkshire Hathaway Energy (regulated utilities, pipelines, renewables)

Monopoly

7.1%

Industrial products manufacturing (PCC, Lubrizol, IMC, Marmon, etc.)

Oligopoly

9.7%

Building products & housing (Clayton Homes, Shaw, Johns Manville, Benjamin Moore, etc.)

Competitive

7.2%

Consumer products manufacturing (Duracell, Forest River, apparel/footwear, toys, etc.)

Competitive

4%

Service businesses (FlightSafety, NetJets, TTI, Dairy Queen, etc.)

Competitive

5.6%

Retailing businesses (Berkshire Hathaway Automotive, home furnishings, jewelry, See's, etc.)

Competitive

5.2%

Pilot Travel Centers (travel centers + wholesale fuel marketing)

Oligopoly

12.6%

McLane (wholesale distribution to convenience stores and restaurants)

Oligopoly

14%

Holding company capital allocation and investing

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.

View the moat stocks list

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.