VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

Mastercard Incorporated vs QUALCOMM Incorporated

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)$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

QUALCOMM Incorporated

QCOM · NASDAQ Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)
SectorTechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
70/ 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 QUALCOMM Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View QCOM analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Mastercard Incorporated leads (77 / 100 vs 70 / 100 for QUALCOMM Incorporated).
  • Segment focus: Mastercard Incorporated has 2 segments (61.5% in Payment Network); QUALCOMM Incorporated has 4 segments (62.8% in Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)).
  • Moat breadth: Mastercard Incorporated has 6 moat types across 3 domains; QUALCOMM Incorporated has 7 across 4.

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%

QUALCOMM Incorporated

Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)

Market

Smartphone application processors and cellular modem/RF platforms

Geography

Global

Customer

Smartphone OEMs

Role

fabless semiconductor/platform supplier

Revenue share

62.8%

Side-by-side metrics

Mastercard Incorporated
QUALCOMM Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
MA - New York Stock Exchange
QCOM - NASDAQ Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$516.9B
n/a
Sector
Financials
Technology
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Payment Network
Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
29.7% (reported)
22%-26% (estimated)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
77 / 100
70 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand, Legal
Supply, Network, Demand, Legal
Last update
2025-12-21
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Mastercard Incorporated strengths

Two Sided NetworkClearing SettlementBrand TrustRegulated Standards PipeData Network EffectsData Workflow Lockin

QUALCOMM Incorporated strengths

Keystone ComponentCapex Knowhow ScaleEcosystem ComplementsDesign In QualificationScope EconomiesIP Choke PointLong Term Contracts

Segment mix

Mastercard Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Payment Network

Oligopoly

61.5%

Value-Added Services and Solutions

Competitive

38.5%

QUALCOMM Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)

Oligopoly

62.8%

Automotive silicon (connectivity, digital cockpit, ADAS/AD)

Oligopoly

8.9%

IoT silicon (consumer, industrial, edge networking)

Competitive

14.9%

Wireless technology licensing (cellular SEPs, royalties)

Oligopoly

12.6%

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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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.