VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

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Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

Alphabet Inc. vs VeriSign, 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)$3.7T
SectorCommunication Services
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

VeriSign, Inc.

VRSN · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)
SectorTechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
Moat score
100/ 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 VeriSign, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View VRSN analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: VeriSign, Inc. leads (100 / 100 vs 86 / 100 for Alphabet Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Alphabet Inc. has 6 segments (56.6% in Google Search & other (Advertising)); VeriSign, Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Naming Services (.com and .net registry)).
  • Primary market structure: Quasi-Monopoly vs Monopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Alphabet Inc. has 10 moat types across 4 domains; VeriSign, Inc. has 4 across 4.

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%

VeriSign, Inc.

Naming Services (.com and .net registry)

Market

Registry operator services for .com and .net top-level domains (domain registrations + authoritative DNS resolution)

Geography

Global

Customer

ICANN-accredited domain registrars (wholesale) and, indirectly, registrants

Role

Registry operator / DNS infrastructure provider

Revenue share

100%

Side-by-side metrics

Alphabet Inc.
VeriSign, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
GOOGL - The Nasdaq Stock Market
VRSN - Nasdaq Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$3.7T
n/a
Sector
Communication Services
Technology
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Google Search & other (Advertising)
Naming Services (.com and .net registry)
Market structure
Quasi-Monopoly
Monopoly
Market share
88%-91% (reported)
100% (reported)
HHI estimate
8,115
10,000
Pricing power
Strong
Strong
Moat score
86 / 100
100 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand, Legal, Supply
Legal, Network, Supply, Financial
Last update
2025-12-21
2025-12-31

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Operational Excellence

Alphabet Inc. strengths

Data Network EffectsHabit DefaultTwo Sided NetworkContent Rights CurrencyDefault OS GatewaySwitching Costs GeneralCapex Knowhow ScaleEcosystem ComplementsIncubation & patient capital

VeriSign, Inc. strengths

Concession LicenseDe Facto StandardFloat Prepayment

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%

VeriSign, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Naming Services (.com and .net registry)

Monopoly

100%

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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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.