VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

American Express Company vs Alphabet 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

Alphabet Inc.

GOOGL · The Nasdaq Stock Market

Market cap (USD)$3.7T
SectorCommunication Services
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-21
Moat score
86/ 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 Alphabet Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View GOOGL analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Alphabet Inc. leads (86 / 100 vs 52 / 100 for American Express Company).
  • Segment focus: American Express Company has 4 segments (47.5% in U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)); Alphabet Inc. has 6 segments (56.6% in Google Search & other (Advertising)).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Quasi-Monopoly. Pricing power: n/a vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: American Express Company has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Alphabet Inc. has 10 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%

Alphabet Inc.

Google Search & other (Advertising)

Market

Search advertising (intent-based digital ads)

Geography

Global

Customer

Advertisers (SMB to enterprise)

Role

Ad platform / publisher

Revenue share

56.6%

Side-by-side metrics

American Express Company
Alphabet Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
AXP - New York Stock Exchange
GOOGL - The Nasdaq Stock Market
Market cap (USD)
n/a
$3.7T
Sector
Financials
Communication Services
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)
Google Search & other (Advertising)
Market structure
Competitive
Quasi-Monopoly
Market share
n/a
88%-91% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
8,115
Pricing power
n/a
Strong
Moat score
52 / 100
86 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Financial, Network
Network, Demand, Legal, Supply
Last update
2025-12-30
2025-12-21

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Switching Costs GeneralEcosystem ComplementsTwo Sided NetworkData Network Effects

American Express Company strengths

Brand TrustLong Term ContractsCost Of Capital AdvantageTraining Org Change Costs

Alphabet Inc. strengths

Habit DefaultContent Rights CurrencyOperational ExcellenceDefault OS GatewayCapex Knowhow ScaleIncubation & patient capital

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%

Alphabet Inc. segments

Full profile >

Google Search & other (Advertising)

Quasi-Monopoly

56.6%

YouTube (Advertising)

Oligopoly

10.3%

Google Network (Advertising)

Competitive

8.7%

Google Subscriptions, Platforms & Devices

Quasi-Monopoly

11.5%

Google Cloud

Oligopoly

12.4%

Other Bets

Competitive

0.5%

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.