VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Stock Comparison

Monster Beverage Corporation vs Tesla, Inc.

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

Monster Beverage Corporation

MNST · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$73.9B
Gross margin (TTM)55.8%
Operating margin (TTM)28.3%
Net margin (TTM)21.7%
SectorConsumer
IndustryBeverages - Non-Alcoholic
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
Moat score
76/ 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 Monster Beverage Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MNST analysis

Tesla, Inc.

TSLA · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$1.5T
Gross margin (TTM)17%
Operating margin (TTM)4.7%
Net margin (TTM)5.5%
SectorConsumer
IndustryAuto - Manufacturers
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-05
Moat score
75/ 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 Tesla, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View TSLA analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Monster Beverage Corporation leads (76 / 100 vs 75 / 100 for Tesla, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Monster Beverage Corporation has 4 segments (91.6% in Monster Energy Drinks); Tesla, Inc. has 3 segments (78.9% in Automotive (vehicles + software + leasing + regulatory credits)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Monster Beverage Corporation has 5 moat types across 3 domains; Tesla, Inc. has 9 across 3.

Primary market context

Monster Beverage Corporation

Monster Energy Drinks

Market

Energy drinks

Geography

Global

Customer

Retail consumers (via bottlers/distributors and retailers); some direct-to-retail

Role

Brand owner, marketer, and RTD finished-goods seller

Revenue share

91.6%

Tesla, Inc.

Automotive (vehicles + software + leasing + regulatory credits)

Market

Battery-electric passenger vehicles (BEV) and connected vehicle software

Geography

United States (market share datapoint); global competition

Customer

Consumers and small fleets

Role

OEM (design, manufacture, direct-to-consumer sales)

Revenue share

78.9%

Side-by-side metrics

Monster Beverage Corporation
Tesla, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
MNST - Nasdaq Global Select Market
TSLA - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$73.9B
$1.5T
Gross margin (TTM)
55.8%
17%
Operating margin (TTM)
28.3%
4.7%
Net margin (TTM)
21.7%
5.5%
Sector
Consumer
Consumer
Industry
Beverages - Non-Alcoholic
Auto - Manufacturers
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Monster Energy Drinks
Automotive (vehicles + software + leasing + regulatory credits)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
33%-35% (reported)
56.7% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
76 / 100
75 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Legal
Network, Supply, Demand
Last update
2025-12-31
2026-01-05

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand Trust

Monster Beverage Corporation strengths

Distribution ControlPreferential Input AccessContractual ExclusivitySpecialty flavor formulations (AFF)

Tesla, Inc. strengths

Data Network EffectsCapex Knowhow ScalePhysical Network DensityService Field NetworkSwitching Costs GeneralScope EconomiesData Workflow LockinScale Economies Unit Cost

Segment mix

Monster Beverage Corporation segments

Full profile >

Monster Energy Drinks

Oligopoly

91.6%

Strategic Brands

Oligopoly

5.8%

Alcohol Brands

Competitive

2.3%

Other (AFF Third-Party Products)

Competitive

0.3%

Tesla, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Automotive (vehicles + software + leasing + regulatory credits)

Competitive

78.9%

Services and Other (Supercharging + after-sales + used vehicles + insurance)

Quasi-Monopoly

10.8%

Energy Generation and Storage (Megapack + Powerwall + solar)

Oligopoly

10.3%

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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Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

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.