VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

American Express Company vs Judges Scientific plc

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)$265B
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

Judges Scientific plc

JDG · London Stock Exchange - AIM

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorTechnology
Industry
CountryGB
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
63/ 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 Judges Scientific plc's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View JDG analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Judges Scientific plc leads (63 / 100 vs 52 / 100 for American Express Company).
  • Segment focus: American Express Company has 4 segments (47.5% in U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)); Judges Scientific plc has 2 segments (51.7% in Vacuum).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Competitive. Pricing power: n/a vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: American Express Company has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Judges Scientific plc has 3 across 1.

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%

Judges Scientific plc

Vacuum

Market

Vacuum and surface-science related instrumentation (e.g., UHV/vacuum components and systems, thin-film/surface engineering adjacent tools)

Geography

Global

Customer

Research labs and high-tech manufacturing

Role

Equipment manufacturer

Revenue share

51.7%

Side-by-side metrics

American Express Company
Judges Scientific plc
Ticker / Exchange
AXP - New York Stock Exchange
JDG - London Stock Exchange - AIM
Market cap (USD)
$265B
n/a
Gross margin (TTM)
83%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
17.1%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
13.4%
n/a
Sector
Financials
Technology
Industry
Financial - Credit Services
n/a
HQ country
US
GB
Primary segment
U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)
Vacuum
Market structure
Competitive
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
n/a
Moderate
Moat score
52 / 100
63 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Financial, Network
Demand
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-06

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

Judges Scientific plc strengths

Buy-and-build acquisition engine

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%

Judges Scientific plc segments

Full profile >

Materials Sciences

Competitive

48.4%

Vacuum

Competitive

51.7%

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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Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

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.