VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★
NO ADVICE
Wednesday, December 31, 2025
Stock Comparison
Kao Corporation vs Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.
Kao Corporation
4452 · Tokyo Stock Exchange
Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.
Full stock profile
Dive deeper into Kao Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.
View 4452 analysisIntuitive Surgical, Inc.
ISRG · NASDAQ
Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.
Full stock profile
Dive deeper into Intuitive Surgical, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.
View ISRG analysisComparison highlights
- Moat score gap: Intuitive Surgical, Inc. leads (83 / 100 vs 60 / 100 for Kao Corporation).
- Segment focus: Kao Corporation has 5 segments (33.5% in Hygiene Living Care Business); Intuitive Surgical, Inc. has 3 segments (60.8% in Instruments and Accessories).
- Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Monopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
- Moat breadth: Kao Corporation has 5 moat types across 2 domains; Intuitive Surgical, Inc. has 9 across 4.
Primary market context
Kao Corporation
Hygiene Living Care Business
Household & fabric care and sanitary consumer packaged goods
Japan and Asia (with select global brands)
Consumers (retail)
Branded manufacturer
33.5%
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
Instruments and Accessories
Proprietary robotic surgery instruments, accessories, and consumables used per procedure on the da Vinci (and Ion) installed base
Global
Hospitals and surgery centers purchasing consumables; surgeons and OR teams as end users
Consumables OEM within proprietary platform
60.8%
Side-by-side metrics
Moat coverage
Shared moat types
Kao Corporation strengths
Intuitive Surgical, Inc. strengths
Segment mix
Kao Corporation segments
Full profile >Hygiene Living Care Business
Oligopoly
Health Beauty Care Business
Competitive
Cosmetics Business
Competitive
Business Connected Business
Competitive
Chemical Business
Competitive
Intuitive Surgical, Inc. segments
Full profile >Systems
Quasi-Monopoly
Instruments and Accessories
Monopoly
Services
Monopoly
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View the moat stocks listCuration & Accuracy
This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).
Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.