Capitalism is brutal. If you invest, you MUST know how to identify...
Brian Feroldi@BrianFeroldi
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Sep 05, 2025
~3 min read
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Capitalism is brutal.
If you invest, you MUST know how to identify a moat.
Here are 9 financial “rules of thumb” that Warren Buffett uses to tell if a company has one:
If you invest, you MUST know how to identify a moat.
Here are 9 financial “rules of thumb” that Warren Buffett uses to tell if a company has one:
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1: Gross Margin
Found: Income Statement
Formula: Gross Profit / Revenue
Moat: Consistently above 40%
No Moat: Under 40% & volatile
Found: Income Statement
Formula: Gross Profit / Revenue
Moat: Consistently above 40%
No Moat: Under 40% & volatile
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Buffett’s logic:
A consistently high gross margin signals that the company isn’t competing exclusively on price.
A high gross margin also provides ample gross profit to pay expenses and leaves money for shareholders.
A consistently high gross margin signals that the company isn’t competing exclusively on price.
A high gross margin also provides ample gross profit to pay expenses and leaves money for shareholders.
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2: Sales, General, and Administrative Expenses
Where: Income Statement
Formula: SG&A / Gross Profit
Moat: Consistently under 30%
No Moat: Over 80% & volatile
Where: Income Statement
Formula: SG&A / Gross Profit
Moat: Consistently under 30%
No Moat: Over 80% & volatile
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Buffett’s logic:
Wide moat companies don’t need to spend a lot on overhead to operate. No moat businesses do.
Buffett looks for companies that consistently spend under 30% of their gross profit on SG&A.
Wide moat companies don’t need to spend a lot on overhead to operate. No moat businesses do.
Buffett looks for companies that consistently spend under 30% of their gross profit on SG&A.
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3: Depreciation Expense
Where: Income Statement & Cash Flow Statement
Formula: Depreciation / Gross Profit
Moat: Consistently under 10%
No Moat: Volatility & high
Where: Income Statement & Cash Flow Statement
Formula: Depreciation / Gross Profit
Moat: Consistently under 10%
No Moat: Volatility & high
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Buffett’s logic:
If depreciation is consistently less than 10% of gross profit, it’s a sign that the company doesn’t need a lot of capital expenditure assets to maintain its competitive advantage and has a moat.
If depreciation is consistently less than 10% of gross profit, it’s a sign that the company doesn’t need a lot of capital expenditure assets to maintain its competitive advantage and has a moat.
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4: Interest Expense
Where: Income Statement
Formula: Interest Expense / Operating Income
Moat: Consistently under 15%
No Moat: Over 50% & volatile
Where: Income Statement
Formula: Interest Expense / Operating Income
Moat: Consistently under 15%
No Moat: Over 50% & volatile
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Buffett’s logic:
Great businesses have such wonderful economics that they are don’t need to rely on debt
While this number varies greatly from industry to industry, it’s a great sign if a company consistently spends less than 15% of its operating income on interest
Great businesses have such wonderful economics that they are don’t need to rely on debt
While this number varies greatly from industry to industry, it’s a great sign if a company consistently spends less than 15% of its operating income on interest
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5: Income Tax Expenses
Where: Income Statement
Formula: Income Tax Paid / Pre-tax Income (Earnings Before Tax)
Moat: Consistently pays the full amount (~21% in U.S.)
No Moat: Negative, erratic
Where: Income Statement
Formula: Income Tax Paid / Pre-tax Income (Earnings Before Tax)
Moat: Consistently pays the full amount (~21% in U.S.)
No Moat: Negative, erratic
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Buffett’s logic:
Wide moat businesses make so much money that they are consistently forced to pay their full share of taxes.
Companies that consistently have negative or an erratic income tax bills aren't as likely to have a durable moat
Wide moat businesses make so much money that they are consistently forced to pay their full share of taxes.
Companies that consistently have negative or an erratic income tax bills aren't as likely to have a durable moat
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6: Profit Margin (Net Margin)
Where: Income Statement
Formula: Net Income / Revenue
Moat: Consistently above 20%
No Moat: Below 10%, negative, and volatile
Where: Income Statement
Formula: Net Income / Revenue
Moat: Consistently above 20%
No Moat: Below 10%, negative, and volatile
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Buffett’s logic:
Companies that consistently convert 20% of their revenue into net income likely have a moat.
If this number is under 10%, negative, or volatile, it's an indication that competition is fierce.
(There’s plenty of nuance between 10% and 20%)
Companies that consistently convert 20% of their revenue into net income likely have a moat.
If this number is under 10%, negative, or volatile, it's an indication that competition is fierce.
(There’s plenty of nuance between 10% and 20%)
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7: Capital Expenditures
Where: Income Statement & Cash Flow Statement
Formula: Capital Expenditures / Net Income
Moat: Consistently under 25%
No Moat: Consistently above 75%
Where: Income Statement & Cash Flow Statement
Formula: Capital Expenditures / Net Income
Moat: Consistently under 25%
No Moat: Consistently above 75%
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Buffett’s logic:
Capital expenditures eat into profits. Companies that don’t have to spend big on capex have more money to reward shareholders
Important: Capital Expenditures can vary greatly from year to year. Averaging the result over 10+ years is best
Capital expenditures eat into profits. Companies that don’t have to spend big on capex have more money to reward shareholders
Important: Capital Expenditures can vary greatly from year to year. Averaging the result over 10+ years is best
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8: Total Liabilities to Adjusted Shareholder Equity
Where: Balance Sheet
Formula: Total Liabilities / Shareholder Equity
Moat: Below 0.80
No Moat: Over 2.00
Where: Balance Sheet
Formula: Total Liabilities / Shareholder Equity
Moat: Below 0.80
No Moat: Over 2.00
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Buffett’s logic:
Wide moat businesses finance themselves with profits, not debt
However, stock buybacks can throw off this equation
Adjust for this by adding back any treasury stock to the shareholder equity number
Wide moat businesses finance themselves with profits, not debt
However, stock buybacks can throw off this equation
Adjust for this by adding back any treasury stock to the shareholder equity number
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9: Return on Shareholders’ Equity
Where: Balance Sheet & Income Statement
Formula: Net Income / Shareholder Equity
Moat: Consistently above 15%
No Moat: Below 10%, negative, or volatile
Where: Balance Sheet & Income Statement
Formula: Net Income / Shareholder Equity
Moat: Consistently above 15%
No Moat: Below 10%, negative, or volatile
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Buffett’s logic:
Return on equity shows how effectively management is reinvesting its profits. A number consistently over 15% indicates that the business has a moat
Under 10%, negative, or volatile indicates that the business is struggling with competition.
Return on equity shows how effectively management is reinvesting its profits. A number consistently over 15% indicates that the business has a moat
Under 10%, negative, or volatile indicates that the business is struggling with competition.
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3 Important notes:
A) These “rules of thumb” are only useful when a company is fully optimized for profits (phases 4 & 5)
B) CONSISTENCY is key
C) There are PLENTY of exceptions & nuances to these rules
A) These “rules of thumb” are only useful when a company is fully optimized for profits (phases 4 & 5)
B) CONSISTENCY is key
C) There are PLENTY of exceptions & nuances to these rules
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Brian Feroldi@BrianFeroldi
Capitalism is brutal.
If you invest, you MUST know how to identify a moat.
Here are 9 financial “rules of thumb” that Warren Buffett uses to tell if a company has one:
If you invest, you MUST know how to identify a moat.
Here are 9 financial “rules of thumb” that Warren Buffett uses to tell if a company has one:
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longtermmindset.co/investing