VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

Judges Scientific plc vs VeriSign, Inc.

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

Judges Scientific plc

JDG · London Stock Exchange - AIM

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorTechnology
Industry
CountryGB
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
63/ 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 Judges Scientific plc's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View JDG analysis

VeriSign, Inc.

VRSN · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$22.2B
Gross margin (TTM)88%
Operating margin (TTM)67.6%
Net margin (TTM)49.9%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySoftware - Infrastructure
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 63 / 100 for Judges Scientific plc).
  • Segment focus: Judges Scientific plc has 2 segments (51.7% in Vacuum); VeriSign, Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Naming Services (.com and .net registry)).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Monopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Judges Scientific plc has 3 moat types across 1 domains; VeriSign, Inc. has 4 across 4.

Primary market context

Judges Scientific plc

Vacuum

Market

Vacuum and surface-science related instrumentation (e.g., UHV/vacuum components and systems, thin-film/surface engineering adjacent tools)

Geography

Global

Customer

Research labs and high-tech manufacturing

Role

Equipment manufacturer

Revenue share

51.7%

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

Judges Scientific plc
VeriSign, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
JDG - London Stock Exchange - AIM
VRSN - Nasdaq Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
n/a
$22.2B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
88%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
67.6%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
49.9%
Sector
Technology
Technology
Industry
n/a
Software - Infrastructure
HQ country
GB
US
Primary segment
Vacuum
Naming Services (.com and .net registry)
Market structure
Competitive
Monopoly
Market share
n/a
100% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
10,000
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
63 / 100
100 / 100
Moat domains
Demand
Legal, Network, Supply, Financial
Last update
2026-01-06
2025-12-31

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Judges Scientific plc strengths

Brand TrustSwitching Costs GeneralBuy-and-build acquisition engine

VeriSign, Inc. strengths

Concession LicenseDe Facto StandardOperational ExcellenceFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

Judges Scientific plc segments

Full profile >

Materials Sciences

Competitive

48.4%

Vacuum

Competitive

51.7%

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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Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

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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.