VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Lowe's Companies, Inc. vs Moody's Corporation

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

Lowe's Companies, Inc.

LOW · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$149.9B
Gross margin (TTM)31.4%
Operating margin (TTM)12.1%
Net margin (TTM)8.1%
SectorConsumer
IndustryHome Improvement
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
48/ 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 Lowe's Companies, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View LOW 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 48 / 100 for Lowe's Companies, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Lowe's Companies, Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Home Improvement Operations (Omnichannel)); Moody's Corporation has 2 segments (53.5% in Moody's Investors Service (Credit Ratings)).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Weak vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Lowe's Companies, Inc. has 5 moat types across 2 domains; Moody's Corporation has 5 across 4.

Primary market context

Lowe's Companies, Inc.

Home Improvement Operations (Omnichannel)

Market

U.S. home improvement retail and related services (DIY and Pro; omnichannel)

Geography

United States

Customer

DIY consumers and small-to-medium professional contractors

Role

Omnichannel retailer and distributor

Revenue share

100%

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

Lowe's Companies, Inc.
Moody's Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
LOW - New York Stock Exchange
MCO - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$149.9B
$95.6B
Gross margin (TTM)
31.4%
67.5%
Operating margin (TTM)
12.1%
43.5%
Net margin (TTM)
8.1%
29.9%
Sector
Consumer
Financials
Industry
Home Improvement
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Home Improvement Operations (Omnichannel)
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
Weak
Strong
Moat score
48 / 100
79 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Legal, Network, Demand, Supply
Last update
2026-01-06
2025-12-21

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Scope Economies

Lowe's Companies, Inc. strengths

Physical Network DensitySupply Chain ControlOperational ExcellenceHabit Default

Moody's Corporation strengths

Regulated Standards PipeDe Facto StandardBrand TrustData Workflow Lockin

Segment mix

Lowe's Companies, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Home Improvement Operations (Omnichannel)

Competitive

100%

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.