VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

Cintas Corporation vs Norfolk Southern Corporation

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

Cintas Corporation

CTAS · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$74.9B
Gross margin (TTM)50.3%
Operating margin (TTM)23%
Net margin (TTM)17.6%
SectorIndustrials
IndustrySpecialty Business Services
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-01
Moat score
63/ 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 Cintas Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CTAS analysis

Norfolk Southern Corporation

NSC · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$65B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorIndustrials
IndustryRailroads
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
70/ 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 Norfolk Southern Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View NSC analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Norfolk Southern Corporation leads (70 / 100 vs 63 / 100 for Cintas Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Cintas Corporation has 3 segments (77.1% in Uniform Rental and Facility Services); Norfolk Southern Corporation has 3 segments (62% in Merchandise).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Cintas Corporation has 5 moat types across 2 domains; Norfolk Southern Corporation has 4 across 3.

Primary market context

Cintas Corporation

Uniform Rental and Facility Services

Market

B2B uniform rental and route-based facility services (entrance mats, restroom supplies, towels/mops, etc.)

Geography

North America (primarily United States; also Canada and Latin America)

Customer

Businesses (SMB to large enterprise) via local delivery routes and branches

Role

Service operator / rental provider (route-based distribution and processing network)

Revenue share

77.1%

Norfolk Southern Corporation

Merchandise

Market

Eastern U.S. freight rail transportation for industrial & consumer goods

Geography

United States (Southeast/East/Midwest; NS network + interchanges)

Customer

Manufacturers, producers, and distributors

Role

Rail carrier

Revenue share

62%

Side-by-side metrics

Cintas Corporation
Norfolk Southern Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
CTAS - NASDAQ
NSC - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$74.9B
$65B
Gross margin (TTM)
50.3%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
23%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
17.6%
n/a
Sector
Industrials
Industrials
Industry
Specialty Business Services
Railroads
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Uniform Rental and Facility Services
Merchandise
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
63 / 100
70 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Supply, Legal, Demand
Last update
2026-01-01
2026-01-02

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Switching Costs General

Cintas Corporation strengths

Service Field NetworkProcurement InertiaSuite BundlingOperational Excellence

Norfolk Southern Corporation strengths

Physical Network DensityPermits Rights Of WayScale Economies Unit Cost

Segment mix

Cintas Corporation segments

Full profile >

Uniform Rental and Facility Services

Competitive

77.1%

First Aid and Safety Services

Competitive

11.8%

All Other (Fire Protection Services and Uniform Direct Sale)

Competitive

11.1%

Norfolk Southern Corporation segments

Full profile >

Merchandise

Oligopoly

62%

Intermodal

Oligopoly

25%

Coal

Oligopoly

13%

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.