VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

Ferguson Enterprises Inc. vs MercadoLibre, 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)$44.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorIndustrials
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

MercadoLibre, Inc.

MELI · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)45.1%
Operating margin (TTM)12%
Net margin (TTM)7.9%
SectorTechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-29
Moat score
73/ 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 MercadoLibre, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MELI analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: MercadoLibre, Inc. leads (73 / 100 vs 72 / 100 for Ferguson Enterprises Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Ferguson Enterprises Inc. has 2 segments (95.1% in United States); MercadoLibre, Inc. has 2 segments (58.5% in Commerce (Marketplace, logistics, ads, classifieds)).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Ferguson Enterprises Inc. has 4 moat types across 2 domains; MercadoLibre, 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%

MercadoLibre, Inc.

Commerce (Marketplace, logistics, ads, classifieds)

Market

Latin American e-commerce marketplace and commerce services (online marketplace, 1P retail, fulfillment/logistics, advertising)

Geography

Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and other countries)

Customer

Consumers (buyers) and merchants/brands (sellers), including MSMEs

Role

Marketplace operator + retailer + logistics orchestrator

Revenue share

58.5%

Side-by-side metrics

Ferguson Enterprises Inc.
MercadoLibre, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
FERG - New York Stock Exchange
MELI - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$44.7B
n/a
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
45.1%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
12%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
7.9%
Sector
Industrials
Technology
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
United States
Commerce (Marketplace, logistics, ads, classifieds)
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
72 / 100
73 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Network, Supply, Demand, Legal
Last update
2026-01-01
2025-12-29

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow Lockin

Ferguson Enterprises Inc. strengths

Physical Network DensityScale Economies Unit CostScope Economies

MercadoLibre, Inc. strengths

Two Sided NetworkEcosystem ComplementsDistribution ControlSwitching Costs GeneralCompliance Advantage

Segment mix

Ferguson Enterprises Inc. segments

Full profile >

United States

Competitive

95.1%

Canada

Competitive

4.9%

MercadoLibre, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Commerce (Marketplace, logistics, ads, classifieds)

Oligopoly

58.5%

Fintech (Mercado Pago & credit)

Competitive

41.5%

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.