VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Ferguson Enterprises Inc. vs Global Payments Inc.

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

Ferguson Enterprises Inc.

FERG · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$46.7B
Gross margin (TTM)30.8%
Operating margin (TTM)8.7%
Net margin (TTM)6.3%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryIndustrial - Distribution
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-01
Moat score
72/ 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 Ferguson Enterprises Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View FERG 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: Ferguson Enterprises Inc. leads (72 / 100 vs 62 / 100 for Global Payments Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Ferguson Enterprises Inc. has 2 segments (95.1% in United States); Global Payments Inc. has 2 segments (76.1% in Merchant Solutions).
  • Moat breadth: Ferguson Enterprises Inc. has 4 moat types across 2 domains; Global Payments Inc. has 6 across 4.

Primary market context

Ferguson Enterprises Inc.

United States

Market

Value-added distribution of plumbing, HVAC, PVF, waterworks and related products/services

Geography

United States

Customer

Residential and non-residential professional trade customers (contractors/builders) plus industrial and infrastructure customers

Role

Value-added distributor (B2B)

Revenue share

95.1%

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

Ferguson Enterprises Inc.
Global Payments Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
FERG - New York Stock Exchange
GPN - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$46.7B
$18.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
30.8%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
8.7%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
6.3%
n/a
Sector
Industrials
Financials
Industry
Industrial - Distribution
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
United States
Merchant Solutions
Market structure
Competitive
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
72 / 100
62 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Network, Demand, Supply, Legal
Last update
2026-01-01
2026-01-10

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Scale Economies Unit CostData Workflow Lockin

Ferguson Enterprises Inc. strengths

Physical Network DensityScope Economies

Global Payments Inc. strengths

Ecosystem ComplementsLong Term ContractsSwitching Costs GeneralCompliance Advantage

Segment mix

Ferguson Enterprises Inc. segments

Full profile >

United States

Competitive

95.1%

Canada

Competitive

4.9%

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.

View the moat stocks list

Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

View expansion-stage stocks

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.