
Does that company have a moat?
To say that a company has a “wide moat” is to say that it has a unique edge over other companies in its industry. In a broader sense, it can be used to describe something in the company’s business that can protect it for the long term. You can look closely at these moats to find out whether a company can withstand tough times.
Do Your dividend growth stocks have a moat?
The Moat A moat is a competitive advantage, and invaluable to the long-term prospects of a dividend stock. With a secure moat, investors can rest assured their dividends will remain protected and continue paying over time. Potential: Dividend stocks shine as long-term investments.
How to identify an economic moat?
- Offering lower costs. This is the most tenuous of the moat because it leaves the door open for competitors to match prices. ...
- Making it difficult for customers to leave. Companies that lock in customers through the cost or inconvenience of leaving have a moat of value. ...
- Holding competitors at bay. ...
- Superior products. ...
What is an economic moat for a stock?
An economic moat is a durable competitive advantage that enables a company to be profitable long-term. A company with a moat is desirable to investors. Economic moats include complexity of the product, high switching costs, and brand value.

What does Warren Buffett mean by a moat?
The term "economic moat," popularized by Warren Buffett, refers to a business's ability to maintain competitive advantages over its competitors in order to protect its long-term profits and market share.
What are the 5 moats?
There are five kinds of moats: brand, secret, toll or toll bridge, switching, and price.
What is an example of a moat?
An example is cigarette brands. Most cigarette smokers have a habit of purchasing the same brand. A company that is able to create loyal customers is able to maintain profits long term and, therefore, has a moat.
How do you analyze moat?
Two Steps to Identify an Economic MoatHow does the company make money?What products/services are the cash cows for the company?What industries does the company operate in?Who are the biggest players in the industry?What is the company doing now to improve the value of its products/services?
Is moat a good investment?
The MOAT ETF outperformed the S&P 500 in the last decade. We can also consider MOTI or GOAT as potential alternatives to MOAT as the US stock market is extremely overvalued, increasing the risks of setbacks. An economic moat is an important aspect for every long-term investor.
Does Amazon have a moat?
While Amazon's dominance has been built on a variety of moats, its central business advantage comes from harnessing the marketplace network effects that come from aggregating suppliers and customers.
Does Coca Cola have a moat?
A durable competitive advantage is an advantage that allows the company to survive (and thrive) despite competitive businesses trying to make money in the same way. There are many competitors to Coke, the most obvious being Pepsi. But Coke's secret recipe (and strong brand moat) has kept it in business for 125+ years.
How do you find moat stocks?
Parameters To Identify Moat CompaniesMargins: One of the first characteristics of a company with an economic moat is its high margins. ... Turnover: There may be a case where the sector itself is too competitive. ... Returns: A company with an economic moat has high margins or higher turnovers or a combination of both.
What is Apple's moat?
customer switching costsWe think the firm's primary moat source is customer switching costs, as Apple bolsters the user experience with a cohort of auxiliary products such as iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch, AirPods, and so on, and services (iMessage, FaceTime, ApplePay) that augment Apple's sphere of influence on the consumer.
What is a no moat stock?
A company with no moat has either no advantage or one expected to dissipate relatively quickly. When companies are successful and earning excess profits, they often become targets for competitors, which may pose a threat to its profits.
What companies have a wide moat?
Here are the 11 stocks now trading well below their fair value estimates:Adobe (ADBE)Compass Minerals International (CMP)Guidewire Software (GWRE)ServiceNow (NOW)T. Rowe Price (TROW)Veeva Systems (VEEV)
What is a narrow moat stock?
A narrow economic moat refers to a company with only a slim advantage over its competitors in a given market or industry segment.
Why is the Moat important?
The term economic moat, popularized by Warren Buffett, refers to a business' ability to maintain competitive advantages over its competitors in order to protect its long-term profits and market share from competing firms. Just like a medieval castle, the moat serves to protect those inside the fortress and their riches from outsiders.
Why do companies have moats?
Some of the reasons a company might have an economic moat are more difficult to identify. For example, soft moats may be created by exceptional management or a unique corporate culture. While difficult to describe, a unique leadership and corporate environment may partially contribute to a corporation's prolonged economic success.
Why are economic moats so difficult to express quantitatively?
Economic moats are difficult to express quantitatively because they have no obvious dollar value, but are a vital qualitative factor in a company's long-term success or failure and in the selection of stocks.
What are the basic tenets of modern economics?
One of the basic tenets of modern economics, however, is that, given time, competition will erode any competitive advantages enjoyed by a firm.
What is product moat?
Product moat is when a company has a product with a significant market share. There is very little a competition can do about it. As an example, Pidilite in India’s adhesive market has a market share of around 70%. The company has a MOAT for the product. There s very little competition can do to disrupt its position.
Why do companies need a moat?
So a moat allows the company to keep growing for a very long period and continue to gain market share to increase profitability. In the dictionary, a moat means a deep and broad dug that surrounds and protects a castle. Similarly, Moat in business is the advantage one has over the competition.
Who coined the term "moat"?
Understand the term coined by Warren Buffett MOAT in its true sense and then invest in companies that have significant MOAT compare to its competition. If you are in equity markets and follow Warren Buffett , you are more likely to have heard the line.
Does Amazon have a moat?
Similarly, Amazon India has a moat for itself because of the size and scale of the operations of the company. Consider DMart or Avenue Supermarts, which can generate such a volume of sales that they can negotiate the lowest prices from its vendors, resulting in low-cost products in stores. Size does matter.
Is a company with a license to do a specific type of business considered a MOAT?
Similarly, a company having a license to do a specific type of business can be considered a MOAT as well. A company with a license to serve electricity, gas to its customers in a geographic region is a MOAT. However, in India, because the charges are fixed. So it doesn’t allow companies to provide premium services.
Does Maruti Suzuki have a MOAT?
The company has a MOAT for the product. There s very little competition can do to disrupt its position. Similarly, Maruti Suzuki has a market share of 51% in the India car segment. It means every other car sold in the Indian market is from Maruti.
What is economic moat?
The term economic moat, popularized by Warren Buffett, refers to a business' ability to maintain competitive advantages over its competitors in order to protect its long-term profits and market share from competing firms.
Why is a moat important?
A business with a strong moat is a great investment. It will generate a high ROIC (Return on Invested Capital) for a long period of time. Ideally, you want the moat to widen with time. Competitors will naturally try to attack the market share of the business, that is why a moat is important.
Why is a moat good for business?
Moat is simply the durable competitive advantage of the business; that thing that protects the business and keeps the competitors away so it can maintain its market share and enjoy the profits. A business with a strong moat is a great investment.
Who is the founder of the economic moat?
The concept of the economic moat comes from Warren Buffett, an American businessman and one of the most successful investors in the world. The term refers to a company's ability to maintain a competitive advantage over its rivals and thus protect its long-term profitability and market share.
What are the basic tenets of modern economics?
One of the basic tenets of modern economics, however, is that, given time, competition will erode any competitive advantages enjoyed by a firm.
What is a moat in investing?
In investing terms, the word “moat” mostly refers to a competitive advantage. To say that a company has a “wide moat” is to say that it has a unique edge over other companies in its industry. In a broader sense, it can be used to describe something in the company’s business that can protect it for the long term.
What are some examples of wide moat stocks?
Amazon, Apple, and Walmart are all examples of wide-moat stocks that have stood the test of time. Find wide-moat stocks by looking at companies' earnings performance in lean times, particularly compared to other companies. Cash on hand, name recognition, and a focus on one superior product are key signals that a stock might have a wide moat ...
What stocks have wide moats?
Finding Wide-Moat Stocks. There are some companies, such as Walmart and Amazon, that clearly have wide moats. But moats are not always so easy to see, especially with firms you may not know as well. If you are looking to find stocks with wide moats, a company’s past stock performance and financial statements can help.
Why is Apple considered a moat?
The popularity of these products gives these companies moats, protecting them against competition and sometimes even the failure of their own other products.
Which companies have wide moats?
There are some companies, such as Walmart and Amazon, that are easy to identify as having wide moats. But moats are not always as obvious, especially with firms you may not be as familiar with.
Which is the largest brick and mortar retailer?
Walmart is another company that is often praised for its wide moat. It's the largest brick-and-mortar retailer, with a huge e-commerce side as well. Plus, it has a big edge in its ability to offer a large number of products at prices that undercut the competition.
Is a company with a wide moat worth investing in?
A company with a wide moat is usually worth investing in. It usually is profitable in both good times and bad, resilient in the face of bad news, and dominant in its industry. Knowing where to find companies with wide moats and how to invest in their stocks can be a key part of building a strong investment portfolio.
What does a moat rating mean?
The effectiveness and longevity of a moat can change with time. A moat rating can factor in whether the moat is gaining or losing effectiveness and longevity. Moat ratings often include a positive, negative, or neutral outlook to describe expected future changes to the moat.
What is the advantage of a moat?
Similarly, a business with an economic moat has a great advantage over competitors, and often means it could be costly or time-intensive for competitors to take their market share.
Why do investors care about economic moats?
Investors care about economic moats because businesses that have long-term advantages can be difficult to surmount — And may offer better returns or greater stability.
What does it mean when a company has a narrow moat?
A business that has a narrow economic moat typically means that the company has some competitive advantages over other firms, but ones that are either surmountable or aren’t expected to last for a very long time. A company with a wide economic moat has major advantages over other businesses in their industry.
What is economic moat width?
The width of an economic moat is a way to describe the effectiveness and expected longevity of the moat. Just as it’s difficult to cross a wide moat to enter a city, it’s difficult for a business to cross a wide moat and overcome another firm’s competitive advantage. A business that has a narrow economic moat typically means ...
How long does a moat rating last?
A moat can be “wide,” meaning it’s expected to last for at least the next twenty years, or “narrow,” meaning it could last for about a decade.
Why is Warren Buffet's term "moat" important?
Investor Warren Buffet is often credited for the term, which likens a company’s great advantage to a moat built around a medieval city, to defend it from attack. A company with an economic moat has an opportunity to earn far greater profits or market share than their competition.
What is the meaning of "moat"?
The 21st-century definition of ‘moat’ is about companies with a sustainable competitive advantage. Medieval castles were surrounded by moats to keep attackers at bay. Now comes the 21st-century version. Today, the term “moat” is used in the business world to describe companies with a sustainable competitive advantage that allows them ...
Why were medieval castles surrounded by moats?
Medieval castles were surrounded by moats to keep attackers at bay. Now comes the 21st-century version. Today, the term “moat” is used in the business world to describe companies with a sustainable competitive advantage that allows them to keep competitors at bay.
What is an example of a company that has the ability to keep prices high?
An example is Apple Inc., which has unique patent-protected products and a strong brand name.
Summary
A business having a strong moat possesses a competitive advantage that is both strong and sustainable for the long run.
Why is an Economic Moat Important to Investors?
While investing, investors generally consider two things; the magnitude of return in excess of the cost of capital and for how long the company can be expected to continue to generate expected returns. To garner large profits, a company must first have to outsmart competition with a competitive advantage.
How to determine whether a company has an economic moat or not?
Investors generally don’t often talk about the depth of a moat, yet it's a good way of thinking about how much money a company can make with its advantage. To determine whether a company possess an economic moat or not, here are four steps that could be followed:
Examples of economic moats
Anything that gives a company long-term competitive advantage can be its moat, therefore virtually, there could be a huge number of moats. Some of the examples are:

What Is An Economic Moat?
Understanding An Economic Moat
- Every successful company understands that the main threat to their continued success will be from competitors, and keeping them at bay is critical to sustaining their dominance. With the passage of time, they are likely to see an erosion to their bottom line as competitors eat away at their market share. Which is why a business that intends to remain dominant has to establish a…
Sources of Economic Moats
- A company that is able to maintain low operating expenses in relation to its sales compared to its peers has cost advantages, and it can undercut its competition by lowering prices and keeping rivals at bay. Consider Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which has an immense volume of sales and negotiates low prices with its suppliers, resulting in low-cost products in its stores that are hard …