VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Adobe Inc. vs Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

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

Adobe Inc.

ADBE · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$139.8B
Gross margin (TTM)89.1%
Operating margin (TTM)36.6%
Net margin (TTM)30%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySoftware - Infrastructure
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

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

VRTX · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$119B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorHealthcare
IndustryBiotechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-08
Moat score
99/ 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 Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View VRTX analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated leads (99 / 100 vs 68 / 100 for Adobe Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Adobe Inc. has 3 segments (74.3% in Digital Media); Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has 3 segments (99.9% in Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Quasi-Monopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Adobe Inc. has 4 moat types across 2 domains; Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has 7 across 4.

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%

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators

Market

CFTR modulator therapies for cystic fibrosis

Geography

U.S., Europe, Australia, Canada

Customer

Patients (via specialty pharmacies/payers); CF care centers

Role

Drug developer/manufacturer

Revenue share

99.9%

Side-by-side metrics

Adobe Inc.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
ADBE - NASDAQ
VRTX - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$139.8B
$119B
Gross margin (TTM)
89.1%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
36.6%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
30%
n/a
Sector
Technology
Healthcare
Industry
Software - Infrastructure
Biotechnology
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Digital Media
Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators
Market structure
Oligopoly
Quasi-Monopoly
Market share
n/a
70%-78% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Strong
Moat score
68 / 100
99 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Network
Legal, Demand, Financial, Supply
Last update
2025-12-22
2026-01-08

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Adobe Inc. strengths

Suite BundlingEcosystem ComplementsDe Facto StandardData Workflow Lockin

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated strengths

IP Choke PointGovernment Contracting RelationshipsSwitching Costs GeneralBenchmark Pricing PowerRegulated Standards PipeService Field NetworkCapacity Moat

Segment mix

Adobe Inc. segments

Full profile >

Digital Media

Oligopoly

74.3%

Digital Experience

Competitive

24.7%

Publishing and Advertising

Competitive

1.1%

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators

Quasi-Monopoly

99.9%

Hemoglobinopathies Gene Therapy (CASGEVY)

Oligopoly

0.1%

Acute Pain (JOURNAVX)

Competitive

n/a

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.