VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

McDonald's Corporation vs Morningstar, Inc.

Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.

McDonald's Corporation

MCD · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$219.6B
Gross margin (TTM)57.4%
Operating margin (TTM)46.1%
Net margin (TTM)32%
SectorConsumer
IndustryRestaurants
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
80/ 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 McDonald's Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MCD analysis

Morningstar, Inc.

MORN · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorFinancials
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-10
Moat score
67/ 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 Morningstar, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MORN analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: McDonald's Corporation leads (80 / 100 vs 67 / 100 for Morningstar, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: McDonald's Corporation has 3 segments (48.7% in International Operated Markets); Morningstar, Inc. has 7 segments (34.6% in Morningstar Data and Analytics).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: McDonald's Corporation has 5 moat types across 2 domains; Morningstar, Inc. has 6 across 3.

Primary market context

McDonald's Corporation

International Operated Markets

Market

Quick-service restaurants and informal eating out (IEO)

Geography

International operated markets (e.g., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, U.K.)

Customer

Consumers (end customers) and franchisees (B2B system partners)

Role

Franchisor / restaurant operator

Revenue share

48.7%

Morningstar, Inc.

Morningstar Data and Analytics

Market

Investment data, research, and analytics platforms

Geography

Global

Revenue share

34.6%

Side-by-side metrics

McDonald's Corporation
Morningstar, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
MCD - New York Stock Exchange
MORN - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$219.6B
n/a
Gross margin (TTM)
57.4%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
46.1%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
32%
n/a
Sector
Consumer
Financials
Industry
Restaurants
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
International Operated Markets
Morningstar Data and Analytics
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
80 / 100
67 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply
Demand, Network, Legal
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-10

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

McDonald's Corporation strengths

Brand TrustPhysical Network DensityDistribution ControlOperational ExcellenceLong Term Contracts

Morningstar, Inc. strengths

Data Workflow LockinDe Facto StandardRegulated Standards PipeSuite BundlingTraining Org Change CostsIP Choke Point

Segment mix

McDonald's Corporation segments

Full profile >

U.S.

Competitive

41%

International Operated Markets

Competitive

48.7%

International Developmental Licensed Markets & Corporate

Competitive

10.3%

Morningstar, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Morningstar Data and Analytics

Oligopoly

34.6%

PitchBook

Oligopoly

27.2%

Morningstar Credit

Oligopoly

12.8%

Morningstar Wealth

Competitive

10.9%

Morningstar Retirement

Competitive

5.6%

Morningstar Sustainalytics

Oligopoly

5.2%

Morningstar Indexes

Oligopoly

3.7%

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.