VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 3, 2026

Stock Comparison

British American Tobacco p.l.c. vs Norfolk Southern Corporation

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

British American Tobacco p.l.c.

BATS · London Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$91.3B
Gross margin (TTM)73.3%
Operating margin (TTM)-24.7%
Net margin (TTM)-20.8%
SectorConsumer
IndustryTobacco
CountryGB
Data as of2025-12-30
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 British American Tobacco p.l.c.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View BATS analysis

Norfolk Southern Corporation

NSC · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$65B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorIndustrials
IndustryRailroads
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
70/ 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 Norfolk Southern Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View NSC analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: British American Tobacco p.l.c. leads (71 / 100 vs 70 / 100 for Norfolk Southern Corporation).
  • Segment focus: British American Tobacco p.l.c. has 6 segments (80% in Combustibles); Norfolk Southern Corporation has 3 segments (62% in Merchandise).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: British American Tobacco p.l.c. has 6 moat types across 3 domains; Norfolk Southern Corporation has 4 across 3.

Primary market context

British American Tobacco p.l.c.

Combustibles

Market

Combustible tobacco (cigarettes and other combustible products)

Geography

Global

Customer

Adult nicotine consumers via retail/wholesale channels

Role

Manufacturer / brand owner

Revenue share

80%

Norfolk Southern Corporation

Merchandise

Market

Eastern U.S. freight rail transportation for industrial & consumer goods

Geography

United States (Southeast/East/Midwest; NS network + interchanges)

Customer

Manufacturers, producers, and distributors

Role

Rail carrier

Revenue share

62%

Side-by-side metrics

British American Tobacco p.l.c.
Norfolk Southern Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
BATS - London Stock Exchange
NSC - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$91.3B
$65B
Gross margin (TTM)
73.3%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
-24.7%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
-20.8%
n/a
Sector
Consumer
Industrials
Industry
Tobacco
Railroads
HQ country
GB
US
Primary segment
Combustibles
Merchandise
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Moderate
Moat score
71 / 100
70 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal
Supply, Legal, Demand
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-02

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

British American Tobacco p.l.c. strengths

Brand TrustDistribution ControlCompliance AdvantageInstalled Base ConsumablesOperational ExcellenceCapability adjacency

Norfolk Southern Corporation strengths

Physical Network DensityPermits Rights Of WayScale Economies Unit CostSwitching Costs General

Segment mix

British American Tobacco p.l.c. segments

Full profile >

Combustibles

Oligopoly

80%

Vapour

Competitive

6.7%

Heated Products

Oligopoly

3.6%

Modern Oral

Oligopoly

3.1%

Traditional Oral

Oligopoly

4.2%

Other

Competitive

2.5%

Norfolk Southern Corporation segments

Full profile >

Merchandise

Oligopoly

62%

Intermodal

Oligopoly

25%

Coal

Oligopoly

13%

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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.