VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Crown Castle Inc. vs Global Payments Inc.

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

Crown Castle Inc.

CCI · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$36.4B
Gross margin (TTM)73.4%
Operating margin (TTM)-61%
Net margin (TTM)-95.4%
SectorReal Estate
IndustryREIT - Specialty
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
84/ 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 Crown Castle Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CCI 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: Crown Castle Inc. leads (84 / 100 vs 62 / 100 for Global Payments Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Crown Castle Inc. has 2 segments (67% in Towers); Global Payments Inc. has 2 segments (76.1% in Merchant Solutions).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Strong vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Crown Castle Inc. has 3 moat types across 3 domains; Global Payments Inc. has 6 across 4.

Primary market context

Crown Castle Inc.

Towers

Market

U.S. macrocell tower leasing (wireless site rental)

Geography

United States

Customer

Mobile network operators

Role

Infrastructure owner/lessor

Revenue share

67%

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

Crown Castle Inc.
Global Payments Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CCI - New York Stock Exchange
GPN - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$36.4B
$18.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
73.4%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
-61%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
-95.4%
n/a
Sector
Real Estate
Financials
Industry
REIT - Specialty
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Towers
Merchant Solutions
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
16%-26% (implied)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Moderate
Moat score
84 / 100
62 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Legal, Demand
Network, Demand, Supply, Legal
Last update
2026-01-02
2026-01-10

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Long Term Contracts

Crown Castle Inc. strengths

Physical Network DensityPermits Rights Of Way

Global Payments Inc. strengths

Ecosystem ComplementsData Workflow LockinScale Economies Unit CostSwitching Costs GeneralCompliance Advantage

Segment mix

Crown Castle Inc. segments

Full profile >

Towers

Oligopoly

67%

Fiber (small cells + fiber solutions)

Competitive

33%

Global Payments Inc. segments

Full profile >

Merchant Solutions

Competitive

76.1%

Issuer Solutions

Oligopoly

24.6%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.