VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Stock Comparison

Mastercard Incorporated vs S&P Global 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

S&P Global Inc.

SPGI · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$126.4B
Gross margin (TTM)70.3%
Operating margin (TTM)42.2%
Net margin (TTM)29.2%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Data & Stock Exchanges
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 S&P Global Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View SPGI analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score: both at 77 / 100.
  • Segment focus: Mastercard Incorporated has 2 segments (61.5% in Payment Network); S&P Global Inc. has 5 segments (32.6% in S&P Global Market Intelligence).
  • Moat breadth: Mastercard Incorporated has 6 moat types across 3 domains; S&P Global Inc. has 9 across 5.

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%

S&P Global Inc.

S&P Global Market Intelligence

Market

Financial market data, analytics, and workflow tools for institutions

Geography

Global

Customer

B2B (institutional investors, banks, insurers, corporates)

Role

Data/analytics and workflow software provider

Revenue share

32.6%

Side-by-side metrics

Mastercard Incorporated
S&P Global Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
MA - New York Stock Exchange
SPGI - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$469.8B
$126.4B
Gross margin (TTM)
83.4%
70.3%
Operating margin (TTM)
59.2%
42.2%
Net margin (TTM)
45.7%
29.2%
Sector
Financials
Financials
Industry
Financial - Credit Services
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Payment Network
S&P Global Market Intelligence
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
29.7% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
77 / 100
77 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand, Legal
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network, Financial
Last update
2025-12-21
2025-12-21

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustRegulated Standards PipeData Workflow Lockin

Mastercard Incorporated strengths

Two Sided NetworkClearing SettlementData Network Effects

S&P Global Inc. strengths

Scope EconomiesDe Facto StandardCompliance AdvantageSwitching Costs GeneralEcosystem ComplementsBenchmark Pricing Power

Segment mix

Mastercard Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Payment Network

Oligopoly

61.5%

Value-Added Services and Solutions

Competitive

38.5%

S&P Global Inc. segments

Full profile >

S&P Global Market Intelligence

Oligopoly

32.6%

S&P Global Ratings

Oligopoly

29.6%

S&P Global Commodity Insights

Oligopoly

15.1%

S&P Global Mobility

Competitive

11.3%

S&P Dow Jones Indices

Oligopoly

11.4%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

View the moat stocks list

Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

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

View expansion-stage stocks

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.