VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 3, 2026

Stock Comparison

Mastercard Incorporated vs Xero Limited

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)$507.2B
Gross margin (TTM)77.5%
Operating margin (TTM)57%
Net margin (TTM)45.3%
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

Xero Limited

XRO · Australian Securities Exchange

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorTechnology
Industry
CountryNZ
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
71/ 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 Xero Limited's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View XRO analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Mastercard Incorporated leads (77 / 100 vs 71 / 100 for Xero Limited).
  • Segment focus: Mastercard Incorporated has 2 segments (61.5% in Payment Network); Xero Limited has 2 segments.
  • Moat breadth: Mastercard Incorporated has 6 moat types across 3 domains; Xero Limited has 7 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%

Xero Limited

Core Accounting Subscription Platform

Market

Cloud accounting software for small businesses and their advisors

Geography

Global

Customer

SMB; accountants & bookkeepers

Role

Software platform (SaaS)

Side-by-side metrics

Mastercard Incorporated
Xero Limited
Ticker / Exchange
MA - New York Stock Exchange
XRO - Australian Securities Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$507.2B
n/a
Gross margin (TTM)
77.5%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
57%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
45.3%
n/a
Sector
Financials
Technology
Industry
Financial - Credit Services
n/a
HQ country
US
NZ
Primary segment
Payment Network
Core Accounting Subscription Platform
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
71 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand, Legal
Demand, Network, Financial
Last update
2025-12-21
2026-01-02

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Two Sided NetworkData Workflow Lockin

Mastercard Incorporated strengths

Clearing SettlementBrand TrustRegulated Standards PipeData Network Effects

Xero Limited strengths

Switching Costs GeneralBenchmark Pricing PowerInteroperability HubEcosystem ComplementsSuite Bundling

Segment mix

Mastercard Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Payment Network

Oligopoly

61.5%

Value-Added Services and Solutions

Competitive

38.5%

Xero Limited segments

Full profile >

Core Accounting Subscription Platform

Oligopoly

n/a

Platform Services (Payments, Payroll, App Ecosystem)

Competitive

n/a

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.