VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

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Stock Comparison

Alphabet Inc. vs The Trade Desk, Inc.

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

Alphabet Inc.

GOOGL · The Nasdaq Stock Market

Market cap (USD)$3.8T
Gross margin (TTM)59.7%
Operating margin (TTM)32%
Net margin (TTM)32.8%
SectorCommunication Services
IndustryInternet Content & Information
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-21
Moat score
86/ 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 Alphabet Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View GOOGL analysis

The Trade Desk, Inc.

TTD · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$12.3B
Gross margin (TTM)78.8%
Operating margin (TTM)18.9%
Net margin (TTM)15.7%
SectorCommunication Services
IndustrySoftware - Application
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-26
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 The Trade Desk, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View TTD analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Alphabet Inc. leads (86 / 100 vs 62 / 100 for The Trade Desk, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Alphabet Inc. has 6 segments (56.6% in Google Search & other (Advertising)); The Trade Desk, Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Advertising Technology Platform (DSP)).
  • Primary market structure: Quasi-Monopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Strong vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Alphabet Inc. has 10 moat types across 4 domains; The Trade Desk, Inc. has 4 across 2.

Primary market context

Alphabet Inc.

Google Search & other (Advertising)

Market

Search advertising (intent-based digital ads)

Geography

Global

Customer

Advertisers (SMB to enterprise)

Role

Ad platform / publisher

Revenue share

56.6%

The Trade Desk, Inc.

Advertising Technology Platform (DSP)

Market

Demand-side platforms (DSP) for programmatic advertising (open internet)

Geography

Global

Customer

Advertising agencies and advertisers

Role

Buy-side platform / demand aggregation

Revenue share

100%

Side-by-side metrics

Alphabet Inc.
The Trade Desk, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
GOOGL - The Nasdaq Stock Market
TTD - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$3.8T
$12.3B
Gross margin (TTM)
59.7%
78.8%
Operating margin (TTM)
32%
18.9%
Net margin (TTM)
32.8%
15.7%
Sector
Communication Services
Communication Services
Industry
Internet Content & Information
Software - Application
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Google Search & other (Advertising)
Advertising Technology Platform (DSP)
Market structure
Quasi-Monopoly
Competitive
Market share
88%-91% (reported)
6%-10% (implied)
HHI estimate
8,115
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Moderate
Moat score
86 / 100
62 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand, Legal, Supply
Network, Demand
Last update
2025-12-21
2025-12-26

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Network EffectsSwitching Costs General

Alphabet Inc. strengths

Habit DefaultTwo Sided NetworkContent Rights CurrencyOperational ExcellenceDefault OS GatewayCapex Knowhow ScaleEcosystem ComplementsIncubation & patient capital

The Trade Desk, Inc. strengths

Interoperability HubStandards Registry

Segment mix

Alphabet Inc. segments

Full profile >

Google Search & other (Advertising)

Quasi-Monopoly

56.6%

YouTube (Advertising)

Oligopoly

10.3%

Google Network (Advertising)

Competitive

8.7%

Google Subscriptions, Platforms & Devices

Quasi-Monopoly

11.5%

Google Cloud

Oligopoly

12.4%

Other Bets

Competitive

0.5%

The Trade Desk, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Advertising Technology Platform (DSP)

Competitive

100%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.