VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Abbott Laboratories vs Waters Corporation

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

Abbott Laboratories

ABT · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$219.2B
Gross margin (TTM)54%
Operating margin (TTM)17.7%
Net margin (TTM)31.9%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryMedical - Devices
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
64/ 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 Abbott Laboratories's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ABT 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: Waters Corporation leads (66 / 100 vs 64 / 100 for Abbott Laboratories).
  • Segment focus: Abbott Laboratories has 7 segments (26.7% in Cardiovascular & Electrophysiology Devices); Waters Corporation has 4 segments (34.9% in Waters instrument systems).
  • Moat breadth: Abbott Laboratories has 10 moat types across 3 domains; Waters Corporation has 7 across 2.

Primary market context

Abbott Laboratories

Cardiovascular & Electrophysiology Devices

Market

Cardiovascular, electrophysiology, rhythm management, structural heart and heart failure devices

Geography

Global

Customer

Hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, cardiologists/electrophysiologists

Role

Implantable device manufacturer

Revenue share

26.7%

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

Abbott Laboratories
Waters Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
ABT - New York Stock Exchange
WAT - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$219.2B
$23.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
54%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
17.7%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
31.9%
n/a
Sector
Healthcare
Healthcare
Industry
Medical - Devices
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Cardiovascular & Electrophysiology Devices
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
64 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Legal, Supply
Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-09

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustInstalled Base ConsumablesData Workflow Lockin

Abbott Laboratories strengths

Procurement InertiaGovernment Contracting RelationshipsCompliance AdvantageDistribution ControlScale Economies Unit CostTraining Org Change CostsIP Choke Point

Waters Corporation strengths

Design In QualificationSupply Chain ControlLong Term ContractsService Field Network

Segment mix

Abbott Laboratories segments

Full profile >

Established Pharmaceutical Products

Competitive

12.4%

Diagnostic Products

Oligopoly

22.3%

Pediatric Nutrition

Oligopoly

9.6%

Adult Nutrition

Oligopoly

10.5%

Diabetes Care (CGM & glucose monitoring)

Duopoly

16.2%

Cardiovascular & Electrophysiology Devices

Oligopoly

26.7%

Neuromodulation Devices

Oligopoly

2.3%

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?

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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.