VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Stock Comparison

Costco Wholesale Corporation vs RELX 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

RELX PLC

REL · London Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$74.8B
SectorIndustrials
CountryGB
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
78/ 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 RELX PLC's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View REL analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Costco Wholesale Corporation leads (80 / 100 vs 78 / 100 for RELX PLC).
  • Segment focus: Costco Wholesale Corporation has 2 segments (98.1% in Warehouse club retail); RELX PLC has 4 segments (34.4% in Risk).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Weak vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Costco Wholesale Corporation has 6 moat types across 3 domains; RELX PLC has 8 across 3.

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%

RELX PLC

Risk

Market

Risk analytics & decisioning platforms (fraud/identity, financial crime compliance, insurance underwriting/claims, industry data)

Geography

Global (largest in North America)

Customer

Enterprises (banks, insurers, digital commerce), governments, and other regulated industries

Role

Data/analytics provider and workflow platform

Revenue share

34.4%

Side-by-side metrics

Costco Wholesale Corporation
RELX PLC
Ticker / Exchange
COST - Nasdaq Global Select Market
REL - London Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$379.8B
$74.8B
Sector
Consumer
Industrials
HQ country
US
GB
Primary segment
Warehouse club retail
Risk
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Weak
Strong
Moat score
80 / 100
78 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Financial, Demand
Network, Demand, Legal
Last update
2025-12-21
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand Trust

Costco Wholesale Corporation strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostOperational ExcellenceNegative Working CapitalHabit DefaultFloat Prepayment

RELX PLC strengths

Data Network EffectsData Workflow LockinCompliance AdvantageContent Rights CurrencySuite BundlingTwo Sided NetworkReputation Reviews

Segment mix

Costco Wholesale Corporation segments

Full profile >

Warehouse club retail

Oligopoly

98.1%

Membership fees (subscription)

Oligopoly

1.9%

RELX PLC segments

Full profile >

Risk

Oligopoly

34.4%

Scientific, Technical & Medical

Oligopoly

32.3%

Legal

Oligopoly

20.1%

Exhibitions

Competitive

13.1%

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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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.