VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Booking Holdings Inc. vs Global Payments Inc.

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

Booking Holdings Inc.

BKNG · NASDAQ Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$177B
Gross margin (TTM)100%
Operating margin (TTM)32.7%
Net margin (TTM)19.4%
SectorConsumer
IndustryTravel Services
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-25
Moat score
77/ 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 Booking Holdings Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View BKNG analysis

Global Payments Inc.

GPN · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$18.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorFinancials
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-10
Moat score
62/ 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 Global Payments Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View GPN analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Booking Holdings Inc. leads (77 / 100 vs 62 / 100 for Global Payments Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Booking Holdings Inc. has 2 segments (95.5% in OTC online travel reservations (Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda)); Global Payments Inc. has 2 segments (76.1% in Merchant Solutions).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Booking Holdings Inc. has 5 moat types across 4 domains; Global Payments Inc. has 6 across 4.

Primary market context

Booking Holdings Inc.

OTC online travel reservations (Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda)

Market

Online travel agency (OTA) reservation platforms

Geography

Global

Customer

Two-sided: travelers (B2C) and travel service providers (B2B)

Role

Intermediary / marketplace

Revenue share

95.5%

Global Payments Inc.

Merchant Solutions

Market

Merchant acquiring and integrated payments (card-present and e-commerce)

Geography

Global

Customer

Merchants (SMB to enterprise) and software platforms

Role

Acquirer and payment processor

Revenue share

76.1%

Side-by-side metrics

Booking Holdings Inc.
Global Payments Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
BKNG - NASDAQ Global Select Market
GPN - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$177B
$18.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
100%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
32.7%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
19.4%
n/a
Sector
Consumer
Financials
Industry
Travel Services
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
OTC online travel reservations (Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda)
Merchant Solutions
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
23%-31% (implied)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
77 / 100
62 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand, Supply, Financial
Network, Demand, Supply, Legal
Last update
2025-12-25
2026-01-10

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Booking Holdings Inc. strengths

Two Sided NetworkBrand TrustHabit DefaultScope EconomiesFloat Prepayment

Global Payments Inc. strengths

Ecosystem ComplementsData Workflow LockinScale Economies Unit CostLong Term ContractsSwitching Costs GeneralCompliance Advantage

Segment mix

Booking Holdings Inc. segments

Full profile >

OTC online travel reservations (Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda)

Oligopoly

95.5%

Metasearch & restaurant reservations (KAYAK, OpenTable)

Competitive

4.5%

Global Payments Inc. segments

Full profile >

Merchant Solutions

Competitive

76.1%

Issuer Solutions

Oligopoly

24.6%

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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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.