VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

Mastercard Incorporated vs UnitedHealth Group 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

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated

UNH · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$123.8B
SectorHealthcare
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
Moat score
64/ 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 UnitedHealth Group Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View UNH analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Mastercard Incorporated leads (77 / 100 vs 64 / 100 for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated).
  • Segment focus: Mastercard Incorporated has 2 segments (61.5% in Payment Network); UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has 4 segments (74.9% in UnitedHealthcare).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Weak.
  • Moat breadth: Mastercard Incorporated has 6 moat types across 3 domains; UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has 5 across 2.

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%

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated

UnitedHealthcare

Market

U.S. health benefits / managed care (commercial, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid managed care)

Geography

United States (primarily)

Customer

Employers, individuals, and government-sponsored programs

Role

Health insurer / managed care organization

Revenue share

74.9%

Side-by-side metrics

Mastercard Incorporated
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
MA - New York Stock Exchange
UNH - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$516.9B
$123.8B
Sector
Financials
Healthcare
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Payment Network
UnitedHealthcare
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
29.7% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Weak
Moat score
77 / 100
64 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand, Legal
Supply, Demand
Last update
2025-12-21
2025-12-31

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow Lockin

Mastercard Incorporated strengths

Two Sided NetworkClearing SettlementBrand TrustRegulated Standards PipeData Network Effects

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostSuite BundlingOperational ExcellenceTraining Org Change Costs

Segment mix

Mastercard Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Payment Network

Oligopoly

61.5%

Value-Added Services and Solutions

Competitive

38.5%

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated segments

Full profile >

UnitedHealthcare

Oligopoly

74.9%

Optum Health

Competitive

9.9%

Optum Insight

Competitive

1.7%

Optum Rx

Oligopoly

13.5%

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.