VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

American Express Company vs Crown Castle 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)$258.8B
Gross margin (TTM)83%
Operating margin (TTM)17.1%
Net margin (TTM)13.4%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Credit Services
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

Crown Castle Inc.

CCI · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$38.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorReal Estate
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
84/ 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 Crown Castle Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CCI analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Crown Castle Inc. leads (84 / 100 vs 52 / 100 for American Express Company).
  • Segment focus: American Express Company has 4 segments (47.5% in U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)); Crown Castle Inc. has 2 segments (67% in Towers).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: n/a vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: American Express Company has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Crown Castle Inc. has 3 across 3.

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%

Crown Castle Inc.

Towers

Market

U.S. macrocell tower leasing (wireless site rental)

Geography

United States

Customer

Mobile network operators

Role

Infrastructure owner/lessor

Revenue share

67%

Side-by-side metrics

American Express Company
Crown Castle Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
AXP - New York Stock Exchange
CCI - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$258.8B
$38.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
83%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
17.1%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
13.4%
n/a
Sector
Financials
Real Estate
Industry
Financial - Credit Services
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)
Towers
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
16%-26% (implied)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
n/a
Strong
Moat score
52 / 100
84 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Financial, Network
Supply, Legal, Demand
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-02

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Long Term Contracts

American Express Company strengths

Brand TrustSwitching Costs GeneralCost Of Capital AdvantageTraining Org Change CostsEcosystem ComplementsTwo Sided NetworkData Network Effects

Crown Castle Inc. strengths

Physical Network DensityPermits Rights Of Way

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%

Crown Castle Inc. segments

Full profile >

Towers

Oligopoly

67%

Fiber (small cells + fiber solutions)

Competitive

33%

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.