3 Stocks with Strong Moats

The three stocks below have maintained their solid returns on invested capital and should continue to dominate their respective markets in 2015.

Google - The name alone now has a loyal following; “Googling” has become synonymous with Internet searching. It started its move to mobile long ago with its Android mobile operating system. That enabled it to lock up market share in the mobile search market. Google can retain its moats going forward too; it has a focus on innovation, where it continues to launch new products and services in an effort to broaden its reach. And the tech giant has the cash hoard to keep this up.

MasterCard - MasterCard has been one of the biggest benefactors of the shift away from cash and checks and toward card payments. Beyond just processing card payments, MasterCard has been actively growing its presence in emerging markets and tapping the exciting mobile payment market. The other beauty to MasterCard is that it's generating a very impressive 40% plus return on invested capital and has been for a number of years.

Union Pacific - Railroad operators are major players in the economic cycle. Union Pacific is benefiting from a rebound in the housing recovery and imported beer delivery, among other things. Uniom Pacific has seen its margins expand nicely over the last decade and its return on invested capital has also steadily risen.