VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

American Express Company vs CSX Corporation

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

CSX Corporation

CSX · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$67.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorIndustrials
IndustryRailroads
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
74/ 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 CSX Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CSX analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: CSX Corporation leads (74 / 100 vs 52 / 100 for American Express Company).
  • Segment focus: American Express Company has 4 segments (47.5% in U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)); CSX Corporation has 5 segments (61.2% in Merchandise (Rail)).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: n/a vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: American Express Company has 8 moat types across 3 domains; CSX Corporation has 6 across 2.

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%

CSX Corporation

Merchandise (Rail)

Market

Eastern U.S. rail freight transportation (merchandise carload)

Geography

Eastern United States (CSX network; interchange to other railroads)

Customer

Industrial, agricultural, automotive and consumer goods shippers; logistics providers

Role

Common-carrier freight railroad (line-haul + switching/terminal)

Revenue share

61.2%

Side-by-side metrics

American Express Company
CSX Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
AXP - New York Stock Exchange
CSX - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$258.8B
$67.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
83%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
17.1%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
13.4%
n/a
Sector
Financials
Industrials
Industry
Financial - Credit Services
Railroads
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)
Merchandise (Rail)
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
n/a
Moderate
Moat score
52 / 100
74 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Financial, Network
Supply, Legal
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-02

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

American Express Company strengths

Brand TrustSwitching Costs GeneralLong Term ContractsCost Of Capital AdvantageTraining Org Change CostsEcosystem ComplementsTwo Sided NetworkData Network Effects

CSX Corporation strengths

Physical Network DensityPermits Rights Of WayCapex Knowhow ScaleOperational ExcellenceGeographic NaturalScale Economies Unit Cost

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%

CSX Corporation segments

Full profile >

Merchandise (Rail)

Oligopoly

61.2%

Intermodal (Rail)

Competitive

14.1%

Coal (Rail)

Oligopoly

15.5%

Trucking (Quality Carriers)

Competitive

5.8%

Other Revenue (Rail/Ancillary)

Competitive

3.4%

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.