VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

FactSet Research Systems Inc. vs Global Payments Inc.

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

FactSet Research Systems Inc.

FDS · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$11.1B
Gross margin (TTM)52.3%
Operating margin (TTM)31.7%
Net margin (TTM)25.4%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Data & Stock Exchanges
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
85/ 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 FactSet Research Systems Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View FDS 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: FactSet Research Systems Inc. leads (85 / 100 vs 62 / 100 for Global Payments Inc.).
  • Segment focus: FactSet Research Systems Inc. has 2 segments; Global Payments Inc. has 2 segments (76.1% in Merchant Solutions).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: FactSet Research Systems Inc. has 6 moat types across 3 domains; Global Payments Inc. has 6 across 4.

Primary market context

FactSet Research Systems Inc.

Hosted Platform (Workstations & Analytics)

Market

Financial data and analytics platforms for investment professionals

Geography

Global

Customer

Institutional investors and financial institutions

Role

Software and data platform vendor

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

FactSet Research Systems Inc.
Global Payments Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
FDS - New York Stock Exchange
GPN - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$11.1B
$18.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
52.3%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
31.7%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
25.4%
n/a
Sector
Financials
Financials
Industry
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Hosted Platform (Workstations & Analytics)
Merchant Solutions
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
85 / 100
62 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Network, Legal
Network, Demand, Supply, Legal
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-10

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow LockinSwitching Costs General

FactSet Research Systems Inc. strengths

Suite BundlingStandards RegistryDe Facto StandardConcession License

Global Payments Inc. strengths

Ecosystem ComplementsScale Economies Unit CostLong Term ContractsCompliance Advantage

Segment mix

FactSet Research Systems Inc. segments

Full profile >

Hosted Platform (Workstations & Analytics)

Oligopoly

n/a

Identifier Platform (CUSIP Global Services)

Quasi-Monopoly

n/a

Global Payments Inc. segments

Full profile >

Merchant Solutions

Competitive

76.1%

Issuer Solutions

Oligopoly

24.6%

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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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.