VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

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Stock Comparison

Mastercard Incorporated vs Wise plc

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)$448.3B
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

Wise plc

WISE · London Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$14.1B
Gross margin (TTM)56%
Operating margin (TTM)32.2%
Net margin (TTM)23.5%
SectorFinancials
IndustryInformation Technology Services
CountryGB
Data as of2026-04-24
Moat score
57/ 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 Wise plc's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View WISE analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Mastercard Incorporated leads (77 / 100 vs 57 / 100 for Wise plc).
  • Segment focus: Mastercard Incorporated has 2 segments (61.5% in Payment Network); Wise plc has 2 segments (74.7% in Personal international account and cross-border transfers).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Weak.
  • Moat breadth: Mastercard Incorporated has 6 moat types across 3 domains; Wise plc has 6 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%

Wise plc

Personal international account and cross-border transfers

Market

Personal cross-border money movement, international account, card and multi-currency balance services

Geography

Global, across more than 160 countries and 40 currencies

Customer

Consumers, expatriates, travellers, migrants, freelancers and internationally active individuals

Role

Digital cross-border transfer, account, card, FX conversion and balance-management provider

Revenue share

74.7%

Side-by-side metrics

Mastercard Incorporated
Wise plc
Ticker / Exchange
MA - New York Stock Exchange
WISE - London Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$448.3B
$14.1B
Gross margin (TTM)
83.4%
56%
Operating margin (TTM)
59.2%
32.2%
Net margin (TTM)
45.7%
23.5%
Sector
Financials
Financials
Industry
Financial - Credit Services
Information Technology Services
HQ country
US
GB
Primary segment
Payment Network
Personal international account and cross-border transfers
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
29.7% (reported)
4.5%-5.5% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Weak
Moat score
77 / 100
57 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand, Legal
Supply, Demand, Financial, Network, Legal
Last update
2025-12-21
2026-04-24

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustData Workflow Lockin

Mastercard Incorporated strengths

Two Sided NetworkClearing SettlementRegulated Standards PipeData Network Effects

Wise plc strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostFloat PrepaymentInteroperability HubCompliance Advantage

Segment mix

Mastercard Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Payment Network

Oligopoly

61.5%

Value-Added Services and Solutions

Competitive

38.5%

Wise plc segments

Full profile >

Personal international account and cross-border transfers

Competitive

74.7%

Wise Business and Wise Platform

Competitive

25.3%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.