VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 1, 2026

Stock Comparison

American Express Company vs Hilton Worldwide Holdings 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

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.

HLT · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$66.8B
SectorConsumer
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-01
Moat score
72/ 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 Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View HLT analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. leads (72 / 100 vs 52 / 100 for American Express Company).
  • Segment focus: American Express Company has 4 segments (47.5% in U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)); Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. has 2 segments (72.7% in Management and Franchise).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: n/a vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: American Express Company has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. has 5 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%

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.

Management and Franchise

Market

Hotel management, franchising and brand licensing

Geography

Global

Customer

Third-party hotel owners / franchisees and strategic partners

Role

Franchisor / manager / IP licensor

Revenue share

72.7%

Side-by-side metrics

American Express Company
Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
AXP - New York Stock Exchange
HLT - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
n/a
$66.8B
Sector
Financials
Consumer
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)
Management and Franchise
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
13%-15% (implied)
HHI estimate
n/a
1,350
Pricing power
n/a
Moderate
Moat score
52 / 100
72 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Financial, Network
Network, Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-01

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustLong Term ContractsEcosystem ComplementsTwo Sided Network

American Express Company strengths

Switching Costs GeneralCost Of Capital AdvantageTraining Org Change CostsData Network Effects

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. strengths

Scale 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%

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. segments

Full profile >

Management and Franchise

Oligopoly

72.7%

Ownership

Competitive

27.3%

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.