VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Air Liquide S.A. vs Microsoft Corporation

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

Air Liquide S.A.

AI · Euronext Paris

Market cap (USD)$91.6B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorMaterials
IndustryChemicals - Specialty
CountryFR
Data as of2026-01-08
Moat score
58/ 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 Air Liquide S.A.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View AI analysis

Microsoft Corporation

MSFT · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$3.6T
Gross margin (TTM)68.8%
Operating margin (TTM)46.3%
Net margin (TTM)35.7%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySoftware - Infrastructure
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-21
Moat score
84/ 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 Microsoft Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MSFT analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Microsoft Corporation leads (84 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Air Liquide S.A.).
  • Segment focus: Air Liquide S.A. has 6 segments (44% in Industrial Merchant); Microsoft Corporation has 3 segments (42.9% in Productivity and Business Processes).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Air Liquide S.A. has 12 moat types across 3 domains; Microsoft Corporation has 9 across 4.

Primary market context

Air Liquide S.A.

Industrial Merchant

Market

Merchant industrial and medical gases distribution (cylinders, bulk liquids) plus related equipment and services

Geography

Global (local/regional distribution markets)

Customer

SMEs and mid-market industrial customers, contractors, labs, and public sector buyers

Role

Distributor + producer (last-mile logistics, cylinder assets, bulk delivery)

Revenue share

44%

Microsoft Corporation

Productivity and Business Processes

Market

Enterprise productivity & collaboration suites, business applications, and professional network platforms

Geography

Global

Customer

Enterprises, SMBs, consumers, recruiters/advertisers

Role

SaaS platform + professional network

Revenue share

42.9%

Side-by-side metrics

Air Liquide S.A.
Microsoft Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
AI - Euronext Paris
MSFT - Nasdaq Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$91.6B
$3.6T
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
68.8%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
46.3%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
35.7%
Sector
Materials
Technology
Industry
Chemicals - Specialty
Software - Infrastructure
HQ country
FR
US
Primary segment
Industrial Merchant
Productivity and Business Processes
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
58 / 100
84 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal
Demand, Network, Supply, Legal
Last update
2026-01-08
2025-12-21

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Long Term ContractsOperational ExcellenceCapex Knowhow Scale

Air Liquide S.A. strengths

Physical Network DensityScale Economies Unit CostDistribution ControlService Field NetworkCompliance AdvantageDesign In QualificationSupply Chain ControlIP Choke PointScope Economies

Microsoft Corporation strengths

Suite BundlingData Workflow LockinTwo Sided NetworkEcosystem ComplementsDefault OS GatewayContent Rights Currency

Segment mix

Air Liquide S.A. segments

Full profile >

Large Industries

Oligopoly

26%

Industrial Merchant

Competitive

44%

Healthcare

Competitive

16%

Electronics

Oligopoly

9%

Engineering & Construction

Competitive

2%

Global Markets & Technologies

Competitive

3%

Microsoft Corporation segments

Full profile >

Productivity and Business Processes

Oligopoly

42.9%

Intelligent Cloud

Oligopoly

37.7%

More Personal Computing

Quasi-Monopoly

19.4%

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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Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

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

View expansion-stage stocks

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.