VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Stock Comparison

Linde plc vs Mastercard Incorporated

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

Linde plc

LIN · Nasdaq Stock Market

Market cap (USD)
SectorMaterials
CountryIE
Data as of2025-12-29
Moat score
72/ 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 Linde plc's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View LIN analysis

Mastercard Incorporated

MA · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$516.9B
SectorFinancials
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-21
Moat score
77/ 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 Mastercard Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MA analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Mastercard Incorporated leads (77 / 100 vs 72 / 100 for Linde plc).
  • Segment focus: Linde plc has 4 segments (43.8% in Americas); Mastercard Incorporated has 2 segments (61.5% in Payment Network).
  • Moat breadth: Linde plc has 5 moat types across 3 domains; Mastercard Incorporated has 6 across 3.

Primary market context

Linde plc

Americas

Market

Industrial gases (Americas)

Geography

Americas

Customer

B2B + healthcare

Role

Producer, distributor, on-site plant owner/operator

Revenue share

43.8%

Mastercard Incorporated

Payment Network

Market

Four-party card payment network (switching, acceptance, and network-related services)

Geography

Global

Customer

Issuers, acquirers, merchants, account holders

Role

Network operator (authorization, clearing, settlement) and rules/standards steward

Revenue share

61.5%

Side-by-side metrics

Linde plc
Mastercard Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
LIN - Nasdaq Stock Market
MA - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
n/a
$516.9B
Sector
Materials
Financials
HQ country
IE
US
Primary segment
Americas
Payment Network
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
29.7% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
72 / 100
77 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal
Network, Demand, Legal
Last update
2025-12-29
2025-12-21

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Linde plc strengths

Long Term ContractsPhysical Network DensityScale Economies Unit CostCapex Knowhow ScaleIP Choke Point

Mastercard Incorporated strengths

Two Sided NetworkClearing SettlementBrand TrustRegulated Standards PipeData Network EffectsData Workflow Lockin

Segment mix

Linde plc segments

Full profile >

Americas

Oligopoly

43.8%

EMEA

Oligopoly

25.3%

APAC

Oligopoly

20.1%

Engineering

Competitive

7%

Mastercard Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Payment Network

Oligopoly

61.5%

Value-Added Services and Solutions

Competitive

38.5%

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.