VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

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Wednesday, January 7, 2026

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Stock Comparison

American Express Company vs KKR & Co. 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)$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

KKR & Co. Inc.

KKR · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$119.9B
Gross margin (TTM)19.5%
Operating margin (TTM)2.6%
Net margin (TTM)14.1%
SectorFinancials
IndustryAsset Management
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
67/ 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 KKR & Co. Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View KKR analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: KKR & Co. Inc. leads (67 / 100 vs 52 / 100 for American Express Company).
  • Segment focus: American Express Company has 4 segments (47.5% in U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)); KKR & Co. Inc. has 3 segments (52.3% in Asset Management).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: n/a vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: American Express Company has 8 moat types across 3 domains; KKR & Co. Inc. has 7 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%

KKR & Co. Inc.

Asset Management

Market

Alternative asset management (private equity, private credit, real assets, and related strategies)

Geography

Global

Customer

Institutional and wealth investors (LPs) allocating to private markets

Role

General partner / investment manager

Revenue share

52.3%

Side-by-side metrics

American Express Company
KKR & Co. Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
AXP - New York Stock Exchange
KKR - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$265B
$119.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
83%
19.5%
Operating margin (TTM)
17.1%
2.6%
Net margin (TTM)
13.4%
14.1%
Sector
Financials
Financials
Industry
Financial - Credit Services
Asset Management
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)
Asset Management
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
3.5%-5% (implied)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
n/a
Moderate
Moat score
52 / 100
67 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Financial, Network
Demand, Supply, Financial, Legal
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustLong Term Contracts

American Express Company strengths

Switching Costs GeneralCost Of Capital AdvantageTraining Org Change CostsEcosystem ComplementsTwo Sided NetworkData Network Effects

KKR & Co. Inc. strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostDeal sourcing and origination relationshipsFloat PrepaymentCompliance AdvantageCapital markets and exit execution capability

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%

KKR & Co. Inc. segments

Full profile >

Asset Management

Oligopoly

52.3%

Insurance

Competitive

46.5%

Strategic Holdings

Competitive

1.2%

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

Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

View expansion-stage stocks

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.