VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Global Payments Inc. vs Moody's Corporation

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

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

Moody's Corporation

MCO · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$95.6B
Gross margin (TTM)67.5%
Operating margin (TTM)43.5%
Net margin (TTM)29.9%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Data & Stock Exchanges
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-21
Moat score
79/ 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 Moody's Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MCO analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Moody's Corporation leads (79 / 100 vs 62 / 100 for Global Payments Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Global Payments Inc. has 2 segments (76.1% in Merchant Solutions); Moody's Corporation has 2 segments (53.5% in Moody's Investors Service (Credit Ratings)).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Global Payments Inc. has 6 moat types across 4 domains; Moody's Corporation has 5 across 4.

Primary market context

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%

Moody's Corporation

Moody's Investors Service (Credit Ratings)

Market

Credit ratings and ratings-related research

Geography

Global

Customer

Issuers, investors, regulators

Role

Credit rating agency / research provider

Revenue share

53.5%

Side-by-side metrics

Global Payments Inc.
Moody's Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
GPN - New York Stock Exchange
MCO - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$18.8B
$95.6B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
67.5%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
43.5%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
29.9%
Sector
Financials
Financials
Industry
n/a
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Merchant Solutions
Moody's Investors Service (Credit Ratings)
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
29%-32% (estimated)
HHI estimate
n/a
3,568
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
62 / 100
79 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand, Supply, Legal
Legal, Network, Demand, Supply
Last update
2026-01-10
2025-12-21

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow Lockin

Global Payments Inc. strengths

Ecosystem ComplementsScale Economies Unit CostLong Term ContractsSwitching Costs GeneralCompliance Advantage

Moody's Corporation strengths

Regulated Standards PipeDe Facto StandardBrand TrustScope Economies

Segment mix

Global Payments Inc. segments

Full profile >

Merchant Solutions

Competitive

76.1%

Issuer Solutions

Oligopoly

24.6%

Moody's Corporation segments

Full profile >

Moody's Investors Service (Credit Ratings)

Oligopoly

53.5%

Moody's Analytics (Risk & Data/Software)

Competitive

46.5%

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.