There are 5 kinds of moats in investing:
Brand Moat: This type of moat exists when people think in terms of the brand rather than the category. Coke, not cola. Harley, not motorcycle. Porsche, not sports car, xerox, not copier. iPhone, not cell phone. Mac, not computer. This is a tough moat to build and to be durable requires enormous focus and consistency in the product and the ability to keep that going in the face of competition."
Secrets Moat: Companies with a secrets moat are those whose products use different technology, ingredients, or parts that are patented. 3M is a perfect example of a company with a big secrets moat because they create product around adhesives that are patented (adhesive recipe is a secret) such as Scotch tape and Post Its.
Toll Bridge Moat: Companies with a Toll Bridge Moat are companies who have somewhat of a monopoly over their industry, which positions them as the “go-to” choice. For example, Pacific Gas & Electric (PCG&E) is an example of a company with a “Toll Bridge Moat” because if you want to get power in California, you pretty much have to go through PCG&E.
Switching Moat: This kind of moat is centered on the cost of shifting from one product or supplier to another. For example, a company with a switching moat is Intel. Why? Because Apply built their computers on an Intel chip, so it would be very hard for them to switch to another competitor.
Price Moat: This moat is not so much about the lowest price as it is about the lowest cost. Price moats exist when a company's cost of production is durably lower than the competition, a moat that lets the company remain profitable when all other competitors are losing money.
Brand Moat: This type of moat exists when people think in terms of the brand rather than the category. Coke, not cola. Harley, not motorcycle. Porsche, not sports car, xerox, not copier. iPhone, not cell phone. Mac, not computer. This is a tough moat to build and to be durable requires enormous focus and consistency in the product and the ability to keep that going in the face of competition."
Secrets Moat: Companies with a secrets moat are those whose products use different technology, ingredients, or parts that are patented. 3M is a perfect example of a company with a big secrets moat because they create product around adhesives that are patented (adhesive recipe is a secret) such as Scotch tape and Post Its.
Toll Bridge Moat: Companies with a Toll Bridge Moat are companies who have somewhat of a monopoly over their industry, which positions them as the “go-to” choice. For example, Pacific Gas & Electric (PCG&E) is an example of a company with a “Toll Bridge Moat” because if you want to get power in California, you pretty much have to go through PCG&E.
Switching Moat: This kind of moat is centered on the cost of shifting from one product or supplier to another. For example, a company with a switching moat is Intel. Why? Because Apply built their computers on an Intel chip, so it would be very hard for them to switch to another competitor.
Price Moat: This moat is not so much about the lowest price as it is about the lowest cost. Price moats exist when a company's cost of production is durably lower than the competition, a moat that lets the company remain profitable when all other competitors are losing money.
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