VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

MSCI Inc. vs Sea Limited

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

MSCI Inc.

MSCI · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$44.7B
Gross margin (TTM)82.4%
Operating margin (TTM)54.2%
Net margin (TTM)40%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Data & Stock Exchanges
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-28
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 MSCI Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MSCI analysis

Sea Limited

SE · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$82.8B
Gross margin (TTM)44.9%
Operating margin (TTM)8.2%
Net margin (TTM)6.8%
SectorConsumer
IndustrySpecialty Retail
CountrySG
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
69/ 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 Sea Limited's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View SE analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: MSCI Inc. leads (76 / 100 vs 69 / 100 for Sea Limited).
  • Segment focus: MSCI Inc. has 4 segments (55.9% in Index); Sea Limited has 3 segments (73.8% in Shopee (E-commerce)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: MSCI Inc. has 4 moat types across 3 domains; Sea Limited has 6 across 3.

Primary market context

MSCI Inc.

Index

Market

Investment indexes and index licensing

Geography

Global

Customer

Institutional investors and asset managers

Role

Index provider / benchmark administrator

Revenue share

55.9%

Sea Limited

Shopee (E-commerce)

Market

E-commerce marketplace and related value-added services

Geography

Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Brazil

Customer

Consumers and sellers

Role

Marketplace operator

Revenue share

73.8%

Side-by-side metrics

MSCI Inc.
Sea Limited
Ticker / Exchange
MSCI - New York Stock Exchange
SE - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$44.7B
$82.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
82.4%
44.9%
Operating margin (TTM)
54.2%
8.2%
Net margin (TTM)
40%
6.8%
Sector
Financials
Consumer
Industry
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
Specialty Retail
HQ country
US
SG
Primary segment
Index
Shopee (E-commerce)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
23%-27% (implied)
52% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Moderate
Moat score
76 / 100
69 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand, Legal
Network, Supply, Legal
Last update
2025-12-28
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

MSCI Inc. strengths

De Facto StandardSwitching Costs GeneralCompliance AdvantageData Workflow Lockin

Sea Limited strengths

Two Sided NetworkDistribution ControlEcosystem ComplementsRegulated Standards PipeDirect Network EffectsContractual Exclusivity

Segment mix

MSCI Inc. segments

Full profile >

Index

Oligopoly

55.9%

Analytics

Oligopoly

23.6%

Sustainability and Climate

Competitive

11.4%

Private Assets

Competitive

9%

Sea Limited segments

Full profile >

Shopee (E-commerce)

Oligopoly

73.8%

SeaMoney (Digital Financial Services)

Competitive

14.1%

Garena (Digital Entertainment)

Competitive

11.4%

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.

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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.