VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. vs Global Payments Inc.

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

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

BRK.B · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$1.1T
Gross margin (TTM)28.7%
Operating margin (TTM)15.8%
Net margin (TTM)17.8%
SectorFinancials
IndustryInsurance - Diversified
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
64/ 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 Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View BRK.B 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: Berkshire Hathaway Inc. leads (64 / 100 vs 62 / 100 for Global Payments Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has 11 segments (28.3% in Insurance (underwriting + investment income)); Global Payments Inc. has 2 segments (76.1% in Merchant Solutions).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Competitive. Pricing power: n/a vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has 17 moat types across 4 domains; Global Payments Inc. has 6 across 4.

Primary market context

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

Insurance (underwriting + investment income)

Market

Insurance and reinsurance (property and casualty + life/health), including float-funded investing

Geography

Global

Customer

Consumers and businesses (policyholders) and insurers (reinsurance cedents)

Role

Underwriter and reinsurer plus investment manager of float

Revenue share

28.3%

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

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
Global Payments Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
BRK.B - New York Stock Exchange
GPN - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$1.1T
$18.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
28.7%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
15.8%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
17.8%
n/a
Sector
Financials
Financials
Industry
Insurance - Diversified
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Insurance (underwriting + investment income)
Merchant Solutions
Market structure
Competitive
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
n/a
Moderate
Moat score
64 / 100
62 / 100
Moat domains
Financial, Supply, Demand, Legal
Network, Demand, Supply, Legal
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-10

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Long Term ContractsScale Economies Unit Cost

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. strengths

Float PrepaymentCapacity MoatBrand TrustPhysical Network DensityConcession LicensePermits Rights Of WayDesign In QualificationCapex Knowhow ScaleIP Choke PointDistribution ControlTraining Org Change CostsPreferential Input AccessService Field NetworkScope EconomiesCost Of Capital Advantage

Global Payments Inc. strengths

Ecosystem ComplementsData Workflow LockinSwitching Costs GeneralCompliance Advantage

Segment mix

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. segments

Full profile >

Insurance (underwriting + investment income)

Competitive

28.3%

BNSF Railway (freight rail transportation)

Oligopoly

6.4%

Berkshire Hathaway Energy (regulated utilities, pipelines, renewables)

Monopoly

7.1%

Industrial products manufacturing (PCC, Lubrizol, IMC, Marmon, etc.)

Oligopoly

9.7%

Building products & housing (Clayton Homes, Shaw, Johns Manville, Benjamin Moore, etc.)

Competitive

7.2%

Consumer products manufacturing (Duracell, Forest River, apparel/footwear, toys, etc.)

Competitive

4%

Service businesses (FlightSafety, NetJets, TTI, Dairy Queen, etc.)

Competitive

5.6%

Retailing businesses (Berkshire Hathaway Automotive, home furnishings, jewelry, See's, etc.)

Competitive

5.2%

Pilot Travel Centers (travel centers + wholesale fuel marketing)

Oligopoly

12.6%

McLane (wholesale distribution to convenience stores and restaurants)

Oligopoly

14%

Holding company capital allocation and investing

Competitive

n/a

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.

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.