VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

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Sunday, January 11, 2026

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Stock Comparison

Alcon Inc. vs Ecolab Inc.

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

Ecolab Inc.

ECL · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$77B
Gross margin (TTM)44.3%
Operating margin (TTM)17.3%
Net margin (TTM)12.5%
SectorMaterials
IndustryChemicals - Specialty
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: Alcon Inc. leads (71 / 100 vs 63 / 100 for Ecolab Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Alcon Inc. has 2 segments (56% in Surgical); Ecolab Inc. has 4 segments (49.5% in Global Industrial).
  • Moat breadth: Alcon Inc. has 7 moat types across 3 domains; Ecolab Inc. has 7 across 3.

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%

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

Alcon Inc.
Ecolab Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ALC - New York Stock Exchange
ECL - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$39.8B
$77B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
44.3%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
17.3%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
12.5%
Sector
Healthcare
Materials
Industry
n/a
Chemicals - Specialty
HQ country
CH
US
Primary segment
Surgical
Global Industrial
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
63 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal
Supply, Demand, Legal
Last update
2026-01-10
2026-01-01

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Installed Base ConsumablesService Field NetworkCompliance AdvantageBrand Trust

Alcon Inc. strengths

Suite BundlingProcurement InertiaCapex Knowhow Scale

Ecolab Inc. strengths

Data Workflow LockinLong Term ContractsTraining Org Change Costs

Segment mix

Alcon Inc. segments

Full profile >

Surgical

Oligopoly

56%

Vision Care

Oligopoly

44%

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

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.