VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

Agilent Technologies, Inc. vs Ecolab Inc.

Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

A · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$38.9B
Gross margin (TTM)52.4%
Operating margin (TTM)21.3%
Net margin (TTM)18.8%
SectorHealthcare
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-22
Moat score
65/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into Agilent Technologies, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View A analysis

Ecolab Inc.

ECL · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)44.3%
Operating margin (TTM)17.3%
Net margin (TTM)12.5%
SectorMaterials
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-01
Moat score
63/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into Ecolab Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ECL analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Agilent Technologies, Inc. leads (65 / 100 vs 63 / 100 for Ecolab Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Agilent Technologies, Inc. has 3 segments (41.9% in Agilent CrossLab); Ecolab Inc. has 4 segments (49.5% in Global Industrial).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Agilent Technologies, Inc. has 5 moat types across 2 domains; Ecolab Inc. has 7 across 3.

Primary market context

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Agilent CrossLab

Market

Laboratory services, compliance/maintenance, consumables and lab informatics across the lab workflow

Geography

Global

Customer

B2B (installed base labs across pharma, diagnostics, academia and applied markets)

Role

Aftermarket services + consumables + informatics

Revenue share

41.9%

Ecolab Inc.

Global Industrial

Market

Industrial water treatment & process chemistry (incl. food & beverage processing and pulp & paper process aids)

Geography

Global

Customer

B2B

Role

formulator + on-site service/optimization provider

Revenue share

49.5%

Side-by-side metrics

Agilent Technologies, Inc.
Ecolab Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
A - New York Stock Exchange
ECL - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$38.9B
n/a
Gross margin (TTM)
52.4%
44.3%
Operating margin (TTM)
21.3%
17.3%
Net margin (TTM)
18.8%
12.5%
Sector
Healthcare
Materials
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Agilent CrossLab
Global Industrial
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Moderate
Moat score
65 / 100
63 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply
Supply, Demand, Legal
Last update
2025-12-22
2026-01-01

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Installed Base ConsumablesBrand TrustService Field NetworkData Workflow Lockin

Agilent Technologies, Inc. strengths

Design In Qualification

Ecolab Inc. strengths

Compliance AdvantageLong Term ContractsTraining Org Change Costs

Segment mix

Agilent Technologies, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Life Sciences and Diagnostics Markets

Oligopoly

39.2%

Agilent CrossLab

Competitive

41.9%

Applied Markets

Oligopoly

18.9%

Ecolab Inc. segments

Full profile >

Global Industrial

Oligopoly

49.5%

Global Institutional & Specialty

Oligopoly

34.1%

Global Healthcare & Life Sciences

Oligopoly

9%

Global Pest Elimination

Oligopoly

7.4%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

View the moat stocks list

Curation & 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.