VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Alcon Inc. vs Gilead Sciences, 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

Gilead Sciences, Inc.

GILD · NASDAQ Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$150.2B
Gross margin (TTM)78.7%
Operating margin (TTM)36.1%
Net margin (TTM)27.9%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryDrug Manufacturers - General
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
74/ 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 Gilead Sciences, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View GILD analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Gilead Sciences, Inc. leads (74 / 100 vs 71 / 100 for Alcon Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Alcon Inc. has 2 segments (56% in Surgical); Gilead Sciences, Inc. has 5 segments (68.5% in HIV).
  • Moat breadth: Alcon Inc. has 7 moat types across 3 domains; Gilead Sciences, Inc. has 8 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%

Gilead Sciences, Inc.

HIV

Market

HIV treatment and prevention medicines (antiretroviral therapy and PrEP)

Geography

Global (U.S. and Europe are major markets)

Customer

Patients/prescribers; reimbursed by public and private payers; distributed via wholesalers and specialty pharmacies

Role

Drug developer and marketing authorization holder

Revenue share

68.5%

Side-by-side metrics

Alcon Inc.
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ALC - New York Stock Exchange
GILD - NASDAQ Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$39.8B
$150.2B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
78.7%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
36.1%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
27.9%
Sector
Healthcare
Healthcare
Industry
n/a
Drug Manufacturers - General
HQ country
CH
US
Primary segment
Surgical
HIV
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
40%-46% (implied)
50%-60% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
71 / 100
74 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal
Demand, Legal, Supply
Last update
2026-01-10
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Service Field NetworkCompliance AdvantageBrand TrustCapex Knowhow Scale

Alcon Inc. strengths

Installed Base ConsumablesSuite BundlingProcurement Inertia

Gilead Sciences, Inc. strengths

Habit DefaultSwitching Costs GeneralIP Choke PointRegulated Standards Pipe

Segment mix

Alcon Inc. segments

Full profile >

Surgical

Oligopoly

56%

Vision Care

Oligopoly

44%

Gilead Sciences, Inc. segments

Full profile >

HIV

Oligopoly

68.5%

Oncology (Cell Therapy + Trodelvy)

Oligopoly

11.5%

Liver Disease

Oligopoly

10.6%

Veklury (Remdesivir)

Competitive

6.3%

Other Products

Competitive

3.1%

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.