VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Morningstar, Inc. vs Norfolk Southern Corporation

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

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

Norfolk Southern Corporation

NSC · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$64.4B
Gross margin (TTM)34.1%
Operating margin (TTM)34.1%
Net margin (TTM)24.2%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryRailroads
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
70/ 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 Norfolk Southern Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View NSC analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Norfolk Southern Corporation leads (70 / 100 vs 67 / 100 for Morningstar, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Morningstar, Inc. has 7 segments (34.6% in Morningstar Data and Analytics); Norfolk Southern Corporation has 3 segments (62% in Merchandise).
  • Moat breadth: Morningstar, Inc. has 6 moat types across 3 domains; Norfolk Southern Corporation has 4 across 3.

Primary market context

Morningstar, Inc.

Morningstar Data and Analytics

Market

Investment data, research, and analytics platforms

Geography

Global

Revenue share

34.6%

Norfolk Southern Corporation

Merchandise

Market

Eastern U.S. freight rail transportation for industrial & consumer goods

Geography

United States (Southeast/East/Midwest; NS network + interchanges)

Customer

Manufacturers, producers, and distributors

Role

Rail carrier

Revenue share

62%

Side-by-side metrics

Morningstar, Inc.
Norfolk Southern Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
MORN - NASDAQ
NSC - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
n/a
$64.4B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
34.1%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
34.1%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
24.2%
Sector
Financials
Industrials
Industry
n/a
Railroads
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Morningstar Data and Analytics
Merchandise
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
67 / 100
70 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Network, Legal
Supply, Legal, Demand
Last update
2026-01-10
2026-01-02

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Morningstar, Inc. strengths

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

Norfolk Southern Corporation strengths

Physical Network DensityPermits Rights Of WayScale Economies Unit CostSwitching Costs General

Segment mix

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%

Norfolk Southern Corporation segments

Full profile >

Merchandise

Oligopoly

62%

Intermodal

Oligopoly

25%

Coal

Oligopoly

13%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

View the moat stocks list

Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

View expansion-stage stocks

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.