VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

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Stock Comparison

Mastercard Incorporated vs MSCI Inc.

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

Mastercard Incorporated

MA · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$469.8B
Gross margin (TTM)83.4%
Operating margin (TTM)59.2%
Net margin (TTM)45.7%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Credit Services
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

MSCI Inc.

MSCI · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$40.9B
Gross margin (TTM)82.4%
Operating margin (TTM)54.7%
Net margin (TTM)38.4%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Data & Stock Exchanges
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-28
Moat score
76/ 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 MSCI Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MSCI analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Mastercard Incorporated leads (77 / 100 vs 76 / 100 for MSCI Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Mastercard Incorporated has 2 segments (61.5% in Payment Network); MSCI Inc. has 4 segments (55.9% in Index).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Mastercard Incorporated has 6 moat types across 3 domains; MSCI Inc. has 4 across 3.

Primary market context

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%

MSCI Inc.

Index

Market

Investment indexes and index licensing

Geography

Global

Customer

Institutional investors and asset managers

Role

Index provider / benchmark administrator

Revenue share

55.9%

Side-by-side metrics

Mastercard Incorporated
MSCI Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
MA - New York Stock Exchange
MSCI - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$469.8B
$40.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
83.4%
82.4%
Operating margin (TTM)
59.2%
54.7%
Net margin (TTM)
45.7%
38.4%
Sector
Financials
Financials
Industry
Financial - Credit Services
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Payment Network
Index
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
29.7% (reported)
23%-27% (implied)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
77 / 100
76 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand, Legal
Network, Demand, Legal
Last update
2025-12-21
2025-12-28

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow Lockin

Mastercard Incorporated strengths

Two Sided NetworkClearing SettlementBrand TrustRegulated Standards PipeData Network Effects

MSCI Inc. strengths

De Facto StandardSwitching Costs GeneralCompliance Advantage

Segment mix

Mastercard Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Payment Network

Oligopoly

61.5%

Value-Added Services and Solutions

Competitive

38.5%

MSCI Inc. segments

Full profile >

Index

Oligopoly

55.9%

Analytics

Oligopoly

23.6%

Sustainability and Climate

Competitive

11.4%

Private Assets

Competitive

9%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.