VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Morningstar, Inc. vs SBA Communications 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

SBA Communications Corporation

SBAC · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$19.5B
Gross margin (TTM)75.4%
Operating margin (TTM)51.1%
Net margin (TTM)30.7%
SectorReal Estate
IndustryREIT - Specialty
CountryUS
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 SBA Communications Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View SBAC analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: SBA Communications Corporation leads (71 / 100 vs 67 / 100 for Morningstar, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Morningstar, Inc. has 7 segments (34.6% in Morningstar Data and Analytics); SBA Communications Corporation has 3 segments (69.5% in Domestic Site Leasing).
  • Moat breadth: Morningstar, Inc. has 6 moat types across 3 domains; SBA Communications Corporation has 4 across 2.

Primary market context

Morningstar, Inc.

Morningstar Data and Analytics

Market

Investment data, research, and analytics platforms

Geography

Global

Revenue share

34.6%

SBA Communications Corporation

Domestic Site Leasing

Market

U.S. wireless macro tower leasing (multi-tenant co-location on communications towers)

Geography

United States and territories

Customer

Wireless service providers and other wireless network operators/tenants

Role

Independent tower owner/operator (REIT)

Revenue share

69.5%

Side-by-side metrics

Morningstar, Inc.
SBA Communications Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
MORN - NASDAQ
SBAC - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
n/a
$19.5B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
75.4%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
51.1%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
30.7%
Sector
Financials
Real Estate
Industry
n/a
REIT - Specialty
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Morningstar Data and Analytics
Domestic Site Leasing
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
16%-19% (implied)
HHI estimate
n/a
3,710
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
67 / 100
71 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Network, Legal
Supply, 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

SBA Communications Corporation strengths

Physical Network DensityLong Term ContractsScale Economies Unit CostOperational Excellence

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%

SBA Communications Corporation segments

Full profile >

Domestic Site Leasing

Oligopoly

69.5%

International Site Leasing

Oligopoly

24.8%

Site Development

Competitive

5.7%

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.