VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 3, 2026

Stock Comparison

AstraZeneca PLC vs VeriSign, Inc.

Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.

AstraZeneca PLC

AZN · London Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorHealthcare
Industry
CountryGB
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
71/ 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 AstraZeneca PLC's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View AZN analysis

VeriSign, Inc.

VRSN · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$22.3B
Gross margin (TTM)88%
Operating margin (TTM)67.6%
Net margin (TTM)49.9%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySoftware - Infrastructure
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
Moat score
100/ 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 VeriSign, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View VRSN analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: VeriSign, Inc. leads (100 / 100 vs 71 / 100 for AstraZeneca PLC).
  • Segment focus: AstraZeneca PLC has 6 segments (41% in Oncology); VeriSign, Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Naming Services (.com and .net registry)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Monopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: AstraZeneca PLC has 4 moat types across 3 domains; VeriSign, Inc. has 4 across 4.

Primary market context

AstraZeneca PLC

Oncology

Market

Innovator oncology therapeutics (branded prescription medicines)

Geography

Global

Customer

Hospitals, oncology clinics, payers

Role

Innovator biopharmaceutical company

Revenue share

41%

VeriSign, Inc.

Naming Services (.com and .net registry)

Market

Registry operator services for .com and .net top-level domains (domain registrations + authoritative DNS resolution)

Geography

Global

Customer

ICANN-accredited domain registrars (wholesale) and, indirectly, registrants

Role

Registry operator / DNS infrastructure provider

Revenue share

100%

Side-by-side metrics

AstraZeneca PLC
VeriSign, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
AZN - London Stock Exchange
VRSN - Nasdaq Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
n/a
$22.3B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
88%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
67.6%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
49.9%
Sector
Healthcare
Technology
Industry
n/a
Software - Infrastructure
HQ country
GB
US
Primary segment
Oncology
Naming Services (.com and .net registry)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Monopoly
Market share
n/a
100% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
10,000
Pricing power
Strong
Strong
Moat score
71 / 100
100 / 100
Moat domains
Legal, Supply, Demand
Legal, Network, Supply, Financial
Last update
2026-01-02
2025-12-31

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

AstraZeneca PLC strengths

Regulated Standards PipeIP Choke PointCapex Knowhow ScaleBrand Trust

VeriSign, Inc. strengths

Concession LicenseDe Facto StandardOperational ExcellenceFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

AstraZeneca PLC segments

Full profile >

Oncology

Oligopoly

41%

Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism (CVRM)

Competitive

23%

Respiratory & Immunology (R&I)

Oligopoly

15%

Vaccines & Immune Therapies (V&I)

Oligopoly

3%

Rare Disease

Oligopoly

16%

Other Medicines

Competitive

2%

VeriSign, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Naming Services (.com and .net registry)

Monopoly

100%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.