VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★
NO ADVICE
Sunday, January 11, 2026
Stock Comparison
Alcon Inc. vs Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.
Alcon Inc.
ALC · New York Stock Exchange
Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
APD · New York Stock Exchange
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 Products and Chemicals, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.
View APD analysisComparison highlights
- Moat score gap: Alcon Inc. leads (71 / 100 vs 70 / 100 for Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.).
- Segment focus: Alcon Inc. has 2 segments (56% in Surgical); Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has 3 segments (51.3% in On-site industrial gases (incl. pipelines)).
- Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
- Moat breadth: Alcon Inc. has 7 moat types across 3 domains; Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has 6 across 3.
Primary market context
Alcon Inc.
Surgical
Ophthalmic surgical devices (implantables, consumables, equipment) and related service/training
Global
Ophthalmic surgeons, hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, group purchasing organizations
Medical device OEM with direct service, clinical support, and training
56%
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
On-site industrial gases (incl. pipelines)
On-site supply of industrial gases (oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, etc.)
Global
Large-volume industrial customers (refining, chemicals, metals, electronics)
Producer / operator of on-site plants and pipeline networks
51.3%
Side-by-side metrics
Moat coverage
Shared moat types
Alcon Inc. strengths
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. strengths
Segment mix
Alcon Inc. segments
Full profile >Surgical
Oligopoly
Vision Care
Oligopoly
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. segments
Full profile >On-site industrial gases (incl. pipelines)
Oligopoly
Merchant gases (liquid bulk + packaged)
Competitive
Industrial gases equipment (cryogenic & gas processing)
Competitive
Want the full wide moat stocks list?
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Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.
View expansion-stage stocksCuration & 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.