VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Wide Moat StocksExpansion-Stage Stocks Home My Collections

Stock Comparison

Fiserv, Inc. vs Merck & Co., Inc.

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

Fiserv, Inc.

FISV · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$37.7B
Gross margin (TTM)—
Operating margin (TTM)—
Net margin (TTM)—
SectorFinancials
Industry—
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-10
Moat score
67/ 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 Fiserv, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View FISV analysis

Merck & Co., Inc.

MRK · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$277.7B
Gross margin (TTM)78.3%
Operating margin (TTM)36.4%
Net margin (TTM)29.6%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryDrug Manufacturers - General
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-22
Moat score
71/ 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 Merck & Co., Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MRK analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Merck & Co., Inc. leads (71 / 100 vs 67 / 100 for Fiserv, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Fiserv, Inc. has 2 segments (50.4% in Merchant); Merck & Co., Inc. has 2 segments (89.5% in Pharmaceutical).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Fiserv, Inc. has 6 moat types across 3 domains; Merck & Co., Inc. has 5 across 3.

Primary market context

Fiserv, Inc.

Merchant

Market

Merchant acquiring and commerce enablement (SMB + enterprise omnichannel payments, POS, gateway/orchestration, and related software)

Geography

Global

Customer

Merchants (SMB and enterprise), plus channel partners (ISVs/ISOs/financial institutions) that serve or refer merchants

Role

Merchant acquirer / payment processor / commerce and POS platform provider

Revenue share

50.4%

Merck & Co., Inc.

Pharmaceutical

Market

Branded prescription pharmaceuticals & human vaccines

Geography

Global

Customer

Wholesalers/retailers, managed care and government payers, hospitals/clinics

Role

R&D-intensive innovator, manufacturer, and marketer

Revenue share

89.5%

Side-by-side metrics

Fiserv, Inc.
Merck & Co., Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
FISV - NASDAQ
MRK - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$37.7B
$277.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
78.3%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
36.4%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
29.6%
Sector
Financials
Healthcare
Industry
n/a
Drug Manufacturers - General
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Merchant
Pharmaceutical
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
67 / 100
71 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Supply, Demand
Legal, Supply, Demand
Last update
2026-01-10
2025-12-22

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Fiserv, Inc. strengths

Ecosystem ComplementsDistribution ControlScale Economies Unit CostTraining Org Change CostsTwo Sided NetworkSuite Bundling

Merck & Co., Inc. strengths

IP Choke PointRegulated Standards PipeCapex Knowhow ScaleScope EconomiesData Workflow Lockin

Segment mix

Fiserv, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Merchant

Oligopoly

50.4%

Financial

Oligopoly

49.6%

Merck & Co., Inc. segments

Full profile >

Pharmaceutical

Competitive

89.5%

Animal Health

Oligopoly

9.2%

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.