VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

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Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

Adobe Inc. vs Ecolab Inc.

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

Adobe Inc.

ADBE · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$149B
Gross margin (TTM)89.1%
Operating margin (TTM)36.6%
Net margin (TTM)30%
SectorTechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-22
Moat score
68/ 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 Adobe Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ADBE 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: Adobe Inc. leads (68 / 100 vs 63 / 100 for Ecolab Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Adobe Inc. has 3 segments (74.3% in Digital Media); Ecolab Inc. has 4 segments (49.5% in Global Industrial).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Adobe Inc. has 4 moat types across 2 domains; Ecolab Inc. has 7 across 3.

Primary market context

Adobe Inc.

Digital Media

Market

Creative content creation and document productivity software subscriptions

Geography

Global

Customer

Individuals, SMB, enterprise

Role

Software platform

Revenue share

74.3%

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

Adobe Inc.
Ecolab Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ADBE - NASDAQ
ECL - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$149B
n/a
Gross margin (TTM)
89.1%
44.3%
Operating margin (TTM)
36.6%
17.3%
Net margin (TTM)
30%
12.5%
Sector
Technology
Materials
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Digital Media
Global Industrial
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Moderate
Moat score
68 / 100
63 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Network
Supply, Demand, Legal
Last update
2025-12-22
2026-01-01

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow Lockin

Adobe Inc. strengths

Suite BundlingEcosystem ComplementsDe Facto Standard

Ecolab Inc. strengths

Service Field NetworkCompliance AdvantageInstalled Base ConsumablesLong Term ContractsTraining Org Change CostsBrand Trust

Segment mix

Adobe Inc. segments

Full profile >

Digital Media

Oligopoly

74.3%

Digital Experience

Competitive

24.7%

Publishing and Advertising

Competitive

1.1%

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.