VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

Norfolk Southern Corporation vs QUALCOMM Incorporated

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

QUALCOMM Incorporated

QCOM · NASDAQ Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$186.1B
Gross margin (TTM)55.4%
Operating margin (TTM)27.9%
Net margin (TTM)12.5%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySemiconductors
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
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 QUALCOMM Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View QCOM analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score: both at 70 / 100.
  • Segment focus: Norfolk Southern Corporation has 3 segments (62% in Merchandise); QUALCOMM Incorporated has 4 segments (62.8% in Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)).
  • Moat breadth: Norfolk Southern Corporation has 4 moat types across 3 domains; QUALCOMM Incorporated has 7 across 4.

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%

QUALCOMM Incorporated

Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)

Market

Smartphone application processors and cellular modem/RF platforms

Geography

Global

Customer

Smartphone OEMs

Role

fabless semiconductor/platform supplier

Revenue share

62.8%

Side-by-side metrics

Norfolk Southern Corporation
QUALCOMM Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
NSC - New York Stock Exchange
QCOM - NASDAQ Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$65B
$186.1B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
55.4%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
27.9%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
12.5%
Sector
Industrials
Technology
Industry
Railroads
Semiconductors
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Merchandise
Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
22%-26% (estimated)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
70 / 100
70 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Legal, Demand
Supply, Network, Demand, Legal
Last update
2026-01-02
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Norfolk Southern Corporation strengths

Physical Network DensityPermits Rights Of WayScale Economies Unit CostSwitching Costs General

QUALCOMM Incorporated strengths

Keystone ComponentCapex Knowhow ScaleEcosystem ComplementsDesign In QualificationScope EconomiesIP Choke PointLong Term Contracts

Segment mix

Norfolk Southern Corporation segments

Full profile >

Merchandise

Oligopoly

62%

Intermodal

Oligopoly

25%

Coal

Oligopoly

13%

QUALCOMM Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)

Oligopoly

62.8%

Automotive silicon (connectivity, digital cockpit, ADAS/AD)

Oligopoly

8.9%

IoT silicon (consumer, industrial, edge networking)

Competitive

14.9%

Wireless technology licensing (cellular SEPs, royalties)

Oligopoly

12.6%

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.