VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

ABB Ltd vs Waters Corporation

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

ABB Ltd

ABBN · SIX Swiss Exchange

Market cap (USD)$109.6B
Gross margin (TTM)39.4%
Operating margin (TTM)17.2%
Net margin (TTM)12.9%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryElectrical Equipment & Parts
CountryCH
Data as of2025-12-31
Moat score
73/ 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 ABB Ltd's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ABBN analysis

Waters Corporation

WAT · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$23.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorHealthcare
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-09
Moat score
66/ 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 Waters Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View WAT analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: ABB Ltd leads (73 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Waters Corporation).
  • Segment focus: ABB Ltd has 4 segments (46.2% in Electrification); Waters Corporation has 4 segments (34.9% in Waters instrument systems).
  • Moat breadth: ABB Ltd has 6 moat types across 3 domains; Waters Corporation has 7 across 2.

Primary market context

ABB Ltd

Electrification

Market

Low- and medium-voltage electrification equipment and solutions

Geography

Global

Customer

B2B/B2G

Role

Manufacturer and solutions provider; channel-led distribution; after-sales service

Revenue share

46.2%

Waters Corporation

Waters instrument systems

Market

Liquid chromatography (LC/UPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS) analytical instrument systems (including LC-MS workflows and instrument control/data system software)

Geography

Global

Customer

Pharma/biotech, industrial, academic and government laboratories

Role

OEM + software/platform provider

Revenue share

34.9%

Side-by-side metrics

ABB Ltd
Waters Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
ABBN - SIX Swiss Exchange
WAT - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$109.6B
$23.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
39.4%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
17.2%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
12.9%
n/a
Sector
Industrials
Healthcare
Industry
Electrical Equipment & Parts
n/a
HQ country
CH
US
Primary segment
Electrification
Waters instrument systems
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
73 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Network
Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-31
2026-01-09

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustService Field NetworkData Workflow LockinInstalled Base Consumables

ABB Ltd strengths

Distribution ControlEcosystem Complements

Waters Corporation strengths

Design In QualificationSupply Chain ControlLong Term Contracts

Segment mix

ABB Ltd segments

Full profile >

Electrification

Oligopoly

46.2%

Motion

Oligopoly

22%

Process Automation

Oligopoly

20.5%

Robotics & Discrete Automation

Oligopoly

9.8%

Waters Corporation segments

Full profile >

Waters instrument systems

Oligopoly

34.9%

Chemistry consumables

Competitive

19.1%

Waters service & software maintenance

Competitive

34%

TA instrument systems & service

Oligopoly

12%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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

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Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

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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.