VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Alcon Inc. vs Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited

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

Alcon Inc.

ALC · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$39.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorHealthcare
Industry
CountryCH
Data as of2026-01-10
Moat score
71/ 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 Alcon Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ALC analysis

Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited

CP · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$66.2B
Gross margin (TTM)56.7%
Operating margin (TTM)37%
Net margin (TTM)28.4%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryRailroads
CountryCA
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
70/ 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 Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CP analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Alcon Inc. leads (71 / 100 vs 70 / 100 for Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited).
  • Segment focus: Alcon Inc. has 2 segments (56% in Surgical); Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited has 4 segments (46% in Merchandise Freight).
  • Moat breadth: Alcon Inc. has 7 moat types across 3 domains; Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited has 4 across 2.

Primary market context

Alcon Inc.

Surgical

Market

Ophthalmic surgical devices (implantables, consumables, equipment) and related service/training

Geography

Global

Customer

Ophthalmic surgeons, hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, group purchasing organizations

Role

Medical device OEM with direct service, clinical support, and training

Revenue share

56%

Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited

Merchandise Freight

Market

North American carload rail freight (industrial and consumer commodities)

Geography

Canada, United States, Mexico

Customer

Industrial shippers and manufacturers across multiple commodity groups

Role

Rail carrier + logistics/transload provider

Revenue share

46%

Side-by-side metrics

Alcon Inc.
Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited
Ticker / Exchange
ALC - New York Stock Exchange
CP - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$39.8B
$66.2B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
56.7%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
37%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
28.4%
Sector
Healthcare
Industrials
Industry
n/a
Railroads
HQ country
CH
CA
Primary segment
Surgical
Merchandise Freight
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
40%-46% (implied)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
71 / 100
70 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal
Legal, Supply
Last update
2026-01-10
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Alcon Inc. strengths

Installed Base ConsumablesSuite BundlingService Field NetworkCompliance AdvantageBrand TrustProcurement InertiaCapex Knowhow Scale

Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited strengths

Permits Rights Of WayPhysical Network DensityOperational ExcellenceDistribution Control

Segment mix

Alcon Inc. segments

Full profile >

Surgical

Oligopoly

56%

Vision Care

Oligopoly

44%

Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited segments

Full profile >

Bulk Freight

Oligopoly

34.2%

Merchandise Freight

Oligopoly

46%

Intermodal Freight

Competitive

17.6%

Non-freight and Other

Competitive

2.2%

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.