MoatwareMethodology
How Qualitative Analysis Works
Moatware turns dense financial reports into clear, comparable moat scores so long-term investors can spot durable competitive advantages without wading through pages of prose.
What is Qualitative Analysis
The qualitative lens of Moatware focuses on the soft side of investing: what makes a business durable. We read filings, transcripts and competitive context, then express the conclusions as comparable moat scores you can scan in seconds.
Every score is decision-support, not a recommendation. The goal is to surface what's worth a deeper look, not to replace your own judgement.
The Framework
Four moat dimensions
Every stock is evaluated across four dimensions that together describe the durability and quality of the business. The number on each card is its weight in the overall moat score.
Weight 25%
Business Model
How sustainable and predictable the business generates revenue: recurring revenue, diversification, scalability and unit economics.
Weight 40%
Competitive Advantages
The strength and durability of the moat: pricing power, switching costs, network effects, brand and innovation barriers.
Weight 10%
Management
Capital allocation, incentive alignment, track record, transparency and execution. Quality of leadership compounds over decades.
Weight 25%
Risks
Customer concentration, disruption resistance, financial strength, regulatory exposure and cyclicality. Higher = better protected.
The Scale
How we score
From rating to display score
Each subdimension is rated on a 1–5 scale by our analysis pipeline. We then map that raw rating to a 0–100 display score using a simple linear curve (raw / 4.7 × 100), so 5.0 ≈ 99 and 4.0 ≈ 85. The upper band stays legible without clamping.
How dimensions roll up
Subdimension scores roll up to a dimension rating using subdimension weights. Dimension ratings then roll up to the overall rating using the dimension weights shown above. Every score you see is auditable back to its inputs.
Six moat tiers
| Tier | Score | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Elite | ≥ 90 / 100 | Top of the scale across every dimension. A rarefied subset of Wide moats. |
| Wide | ≥ 80 / 100 | Exceptional, durable competitive advantages across most dimensions. |
| Solid | ≥ 70 / 100 | Strong moat with meaningful depth and few weak spots. |
| Narrow | ≥ 60 / 100 | Real but limited advantage that works in current conditions. |
| Thin | ≥ 45 / 100 | Weak protection. The business may still earn returns but lacks durability. |
| None | < 45 / 100 | No discernible moat. Returns likely compete away over time. |
The Network
The Moatware family
Six angles on the same stock. Moatware focuses on qualitative moat. Five sister sites cover the rest.
Qualitative
Qualitative Analysis
Moat analysis: business model, competitive advantages, management and risks.
Quantitative
Quantitative Analysis
Financial metrics: valuation, financial health, profitability and growth.
Dividend
Coming soonDividend Analysis
Yield, growth, coverage and stability for income-focused investors.
Technical
Coming soonTechnical Analysis
Price action, momentum and trend signals for traders timing entries and exits.
Growth
Coming soonGrowth Analysis
Top-line acceleration, reinvestment runway and TAM for growth-style investing.
Insiders
Coming soonInsider Analysis
Insider transactions and institutional ownership: what people closest to the business are doing.
The Fine Print
Methodology and limits
Data sources
Public filings, market data and structured reads of management commentary. Refreshed each reporting cycle.
Refresh cadence
Scores are recomputed quarterly. Tier labels are sticky: they only flip when the underlying rating crosses a threshold, so noise stays low.
Subjective by design
Moat is a qualitative concept; we apply a consistent rubric, but reasonable analysts can reach different conclusions on edge cases.
Not investment advice
Scores are decision-support, not recommendations. Always do your own research before buying or selling.
Ready to dig in?
Browse the directory or jump straight to a curated wide-moat list.