VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

Caterpillar Inc. vs Duolingo, Inc.

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

Caterpillar Inc.

CAT · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$288.6B
Gross margin (TTM)33.9%
Operating margin (TTM)17.7%
Net margin (TTM)14.3%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryAgricultural - Machinery
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-25
Moat score
68/ 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 Caterpillar Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CAT analysis

Duolingo, Inc.

DUOL · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$8.6B
Gross margin (TTM)72%
Operating margin (TTM)11%
Net margin (TTM)40%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySoftware - Application
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
68/ 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 Duolingo, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View DUOL analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score: both at 68 / 100.
  • Segment focus: Caterpillar Inc. has 5 segments (40.7% in Energy & Transportation); Duolingo, Inc. has 2 segments (93.9% in Duolingo App).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Caterpillar Inc. has 9 moat types across 4 domains; Duolingo, Inc. has 6 across 3.

Primary market context

Caterpillar Inc.

Energy & Transportation

Market

Off-highway engines, power generation, turbines, locomotives and related services

Geography

Global

Customer

Energy companies, industrial customers, OEMs, rail and marine operators

Role

OEM + aftermarket parts/service

Revenue share

40.7%

Duolingo, Inc.

Duolingo App

Market

Mobile-first, freemium language learning and adjacent subjects (math, music)

Geography

Global

Customer

Consumers (end-users); advertisers

Role

Digital learning platform / content & software publisher

Revenue share

93.9%

Side-by-side metrics

Caterpillar Inc.
Duolingo, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CAT - New York Stock Exchange
DUOL - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$288.6B
$8.6B
Gross margin (TTM)
33.9%
72%
Operating margin (TTM)
17.7%
11%
Net margin (TTM)
14.3%
40%
Sector
Industrials
Technology
Industry
Agricultural - Machinery
Software - Application
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Energy & Transportation
Duolingo App
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
68 / 100
68 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Financial, Network
Network, Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-25
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustDesign In Qualification

Caterpillar Inc. strengths

Distribution ControlInstalled Base ConsumablesService Field NetworkCapex Knowhow ScaleSuite BundlingUnderwriting Risk PoolingEcosystem Complements

Duolingo, Inc. strengths

Data Network EffectsHabit DefaultScope EconomiesOperational Excellence

Segment mix

Caterpillar Inc. segments

Full profile >

Construction Industries

Oligopoly

35.9%

Resource Industries

Oligopoly

17.5%

Energy & Transportation

Oligopoly

40.7%

Financial Products

Competitive

5.3%

All Other

Competitive

0.6%

Duolingo, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Duolingo App

Competitive

93.9%

Duolingo English Test

Oligopoly

6.1%

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.