VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

Costco Wholesale Corporation vs Experian plc

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

Costco Wholesale Corporation

COST · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$379.8B
SectorConsumer
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-21
Moat score
80/ 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 Costco Wholesale Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View COST analysis

Experian plc

EXPN · London Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$41.9B
SectorIndustrials
CountryJE
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
76/ 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 Experian plc's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View EXPN analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Costco Wholesale Corporation leads (80 / 100 vs 76 / 100 for Experian plc).
  • Segment focus: Costco Wholesale Corporation has 2 segments (98.1% in Warehouse club retail); Experian plc has 4 segments (67.2% in North America).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Weak vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Costco Wholesale Corporation has 6 moat types across 3 domains; Experian plc has 7 across 4.

Primary market context

Costco Wholesale Corporation

Warehouse club retail

Market

Membership warehouse club retail (warehouse clubs, ancillary services, and e-commerce)

Geography

Global

Customer

Households and small businesses

Role

Retailer (membership club)

Revenue share

98.1%

Experian plc

North America

Market

Consumer and business credit reporting, identity/fraud data and decision analytics, plus consumer credit/insurance marketplaces

Geography

North America

Customer

Financial institutions, insurers, auto lenders, healthcare providers, advertisers, consumers

Role

Data/analytics provider and consumer marketplace operator

Revenue share

67.2%

Side-by-side metrics

Costco Wholesale Corporation
Experian plc
Ticker / Exchange
COST - Nasdaq Global Select Market
EXPN - London Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$379.8B
$41.9B
Sector
Consumer
Industrials
HQ country
US
JE
Primary segment
Warehouse club retail
North America
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Weak
Strong
Moat score
80 / 100
76 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Financial, Demand
Network, Legal, Supply, Demand
Last update
2025-12-21
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Costco Wholesale Corporation strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostOperational ExcellenceNegative Working CapitalBrand TrustHabit DefaultFloat Prepayment

Experian plc strengths

Data Network EffectsRegulated Standards PipeTwo Sided NetworkPreferential Input AccessCompliance AdvantageSuite BundlingSwitching Costs General

Segment mix

Costco Wholesale Corporation segments

Full profile >

Warehouse club retail

Oligopoly

98.1%

Membership fees (subscription)

Oligopoly

1.9%

Experian plc segments

Full profile >

North America

Oligopoly

67.2%

Latin America

Quasi-Monopoly

14.2%

UK and Ireland

Oligopoly

11.6%

EMEA and Asia Pacific

Competitive

7%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.