VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 3, 2026

Stock Comparison

Norfolk Southern Corporation vs Pfizer Inc.

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

Norfolk Southern Corporation

NSC · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$65B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
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

Pfizer Inc.

PFE · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$143.4B
Gross margin (TTM)71.2%
Operating margin (TTM)27.8%
Net margin (TTM)15.6%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryDrug Manufacturers - General
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-29
Moat score
58/ 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 Pfizer Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View PFE analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Norfolk Southern Corporation leads (70 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Pfizer Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Norfolk Southern Corporation has 3 segments (62% in Merchandise); Pfizer Inc. has 5 segments (47.4% in Primary Care).
  • Moat breadth: Norfolk Southern Corporation has 4 moat types across 3 domains; Pfizer Inc. has 8 across 3.

Primary market context

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%

Pfizer Inc.

Primary Care

Market

Branded primary care medicines and vaccines (incl. cardiovascular, migraine, pneumococcal/RSV/COVID-19)

Geography

Global

Customer

Healthcare providers, payers/PBMs, pharmacies/wholesalers, and government procurement

Role

Innovator biopharma (R&D + manufacturing + commercialization)

Revenue share

47.4%

Side-by-side metrics

Norfolk Southern Corporation
Pfizer Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
NSC - New York Stock Exchange
PFE - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$65B
$143.4B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
71.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
27.8%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
15.6%
Sector
Industrials
Healthcare
Industry
Railroads
Drug Manufacturers - General
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Merchandise
Primary Care
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
70 / 100
58 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Legal, Demand
Legal, Demand, Supply
Last update
2026-01-02
2025-12-29

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Norfolk Southern Corporation strengths

Physical Network DensityPermits Rights Of WayScale Economies Unit CostSwitching Costs General

Pfizer Inc. strengths

IP Choke PointProcurement InertiaGovernment Contracting RelationshipsCapex Knowhow ScaleCompliance AdvantageLong Term ContractsOperational ExcellenceEmbedded R&D partnership platform

Segment mix

Norfolk Southern Corporation segments

Full profile >

Merchandise

Oligopoly

62%

Intermodal

Oligopoly

25%

Coal

Oligopoly

13%

Pfizer Inc. segments

Full profile >

Primary Care

Oligopoly

47.4%

Specialty Care

Oligopoly

26.2%

Oncology

Competitive

24.5%

Pfizer CentreOne

Competitive

1.8%

Pfizer Ignite

Competitive

0.1%

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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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.