VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 3, 2026

Stock Comparison

BAE Systems plc vs Xero Limited

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

BAE Systems plc

BA. · London Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$51.1B
Gross margin (TTM)8.6%
Operating margin (TTM)9.3%
Net margin (TTM)7.4%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryAerospace & Defense
CountryGB
Data as of2025-12-28
Moat score
75/ 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 BAE Systems plc's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View BA. analysis

Xero Limited

XRO · Australian Securities Exchange

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorTechnology
Industry
CountryNZ
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 Xero Limited's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View XRO analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: BAE Systems plc leads (75 / 100 vs 71 / 100 for Xero Limited).
  • Segment focus: BAE Systems plc has 5 segments (26.6% in Electronic Systems); Xero Limited has 2 segments.
  • Moat breadth: BAE Systems plc has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Xero Limited has 7 across 3.

Primary market context

BAE Systems plc

Electronic Systems

Market

Defence electronics (electronic warfare, avionics, C4ISR, space payloads and mission systems)

Geography

Primarily US and UK; global programmes

Customer

Government defence and intelligence agencies; prime contractors

Role

Subsystem OEM and prime contractor for electronics/mission systems

Revenue share

26.6%

Xero Limited

Core Accounting Subscription Platform

Market

Cloud accounting software for small businesses and their advisors

Geography

Global

Customer

SMB; accountants & bookkeepers

Role

Software platform (SaaS)

Side-by-side metrics

BAE Systems plc
Xero Limited
Ticker / Exchange
BA. - London Stock Exchange
XRO - Australian Securities Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$51.1B
n/a
Gross margin (TTM)
8.6%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
9.3%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
7.4%
n/a
Sector
Industrials
Technology
Industry
Aerospace & Defense
n/a
HQ country
GB
NZ
Primary segment
Electronic Systems
Core Accounting Subscription Platform
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
75 / 100
71 / 100
Moat domains
Legal, Demand, Supply
Demand, Network, Financial
Last update
2025-12-28
2026-01-02

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Switching Costs General

BAE Systems plc strengths

Government Contracting RelationshipsDesign In QualificationCompliance AdvantageService Field NetworkLong Term ContractsCapex Knowhow ScaleCapacity Moat

Xero Limited strengths

Data Workflow LockinTwo Sided NetworkBenchmark Pricing PowerInteroperability HubEcosystem ComplementsSuite Bundling

Segment mix

BAE Systems plc segments

Full profile >

Electronic Systems

Oligopoly

26.6%

Platforms & Services

Oligopoly

16.3%

Air

Oligopoly

26%

Maritime

Oligopoly

22.5%

Cyber & Intelligence

Competitive

8.6%

Xero Limited segments

Full profile >

Core Accounting Subscription Platform

Oligopoly

n/a

Platform Services (Payments, Payroll, App Ecosystem)

Competitive

n/a

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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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.