VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

American Express Company vs Elevance Health, 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)$262.1B
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

Elevance Health, Inc.

ELV · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$82.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorHealthcare
IndustryMedical - Healthcare Plans
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-09
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 Elevance Health, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ELV analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Elevance Health, Inc. 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)); Elevance Health, Inc. has 3 segments (85.2% in Health Benefits).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: n/a vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: American Express Company has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Elevance Health, Inc. has 8 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%

Elevance Health, Inc.

Health Benefits

Market

U.S. health insurance and managed care

Geography

United States

Customer

Employers, individuals, and government programs

Role

Payer / managed care organization

Revenue share

85.2%

Side-by-side metrics

American Express Company
Elevance Health, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
AXP - New York Stock Exchange
ELV - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$262.1B
$82.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
83%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
17.1%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
13.4%
n/a
Sector
Financials
Healthcare
Industry
Financial - Credit Services
Medical - Healthcare Plans
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)
Health Benefits
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
Legal, Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-09

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustSwitching Costs General

American Express Company strengths

Long Term ContractsCost Of Capital AdvantageTraining Org Change CostsEcosystem ComplementsTwo Sided NetworkData Network Effects

Elevance Health, Inc. strengths

Concession LicenseScale Economies Unit CostGovernment Contracting RelationshipsData Workflow LockinSuite BundlingScope 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%

Elevance Health, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Health Benefits

Oligopoly

85.2%

CarelonRx

Oligopoly

12.8%

Carelon Services

Competitive

1.9%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.