VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

American Express Company vs Intuitive Surgical, 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

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

ISRG · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)
SectorHealthcare
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
83/ 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 Intuitive Surgical, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ISRG analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Intuitive Surgical, Inc. leads (83 / 100 vs 52 / 100 for American Express Company).
  • Segment focus: American Express Company has 4 segments (47.5% in U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)); Intuitive Surgical, Inc. has 3 segments (60.8% in Instruments and Accessories).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Monopoly. Pricing power: n/a vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: American Express Company has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Intuitive Surgical, Inc. has 9 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%

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

Instruments and Accessories

Market

Proprietary robotic surgery instruments, accessories, and consumables used per procedure on the da Vinci (and Ion) installed base

Geography

Global

Customer

Hospitals and surgery centers purchasing consumables; surgeons and OR teams as end users

Role

Consumables OEM within proprietary platform

Revenue share

60.8%

Side-by-side metrics

American Express Company
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
AXP - New York Stock Exchange
ISRG - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
n/a
n/a
Sector
Financials
Healthcare
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)
Instruments and Accessories
Market structure
Competitive
Monopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
n/a
Strong
Moat score
52 / 100
83 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Financial, Network
Supply, Demand, Network, Legal
Last update
2025-12-30
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Long Term ContractsTraining Org Change CostsEcosystem Complements

American Express Company strengths

Brand TrustSwitching Costs GeneralCost Of Capital AdvantageTwo Sided NetworkData Network Effects

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. strengths

Capex Knowhow ScaleProcurement InertiaInstalled Base ConsumablesIP Choke PointService Field NetworkData Workflow Lockin

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%

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Systems

Quasi-Monopoly

23.5%

Instruments and Accessories

Monopoly

60.8%

Services

Monopoly

15.6%

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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.