Narrow Moat

A narrow moat is a slight competitive advantage that one company enjoys over competing firms operating in the same or similar type of industry. A narrow moat is still an advantage for a company, but it is one that only provides a limited amount of economic benefit and will typically last for only a relatively short period of time before competition marginalizes its importance.

"Narrow moat," as a term, stems from the the phrase "economic moat," which was coined by legendary investor Warren Buffett. This phrase has since been refined to differentiate between "wide moats" and "narrow moats." Wide economic moats offer substantial economic benefits and are expected to endure for a prolonged period of time, while narrow moats offer more modest economic benefits and typically last for a shorter period of time.