VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★
NO ADVICE
Sunday, January 11, 2026
Stock Comparison
Alcon Inc. vs Intuitive Surgical, 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.
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
ISRG · NASDAQ
Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.
Full stock profile
Dive deeper into Intuitive Surgical, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.
View ISRG analysisComparison highlights
- Moat score gap: Intuitive Surgical, Inc. leads (83 / 100 vs 71 / 100 for Alcon Inc.).
- Segment focus: Alcon Inc. has 2 segments (56% in Surgical); Intuitive Surgical, Inc. has 3 segments (60.8% in Instruments and Accessories).
- Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Monopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
- Moat breadth: Alcon Inc. has 7 moat types across 3 domains; Intuitive Surgical, Inc. has 9 across 4.
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%
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
Instruments and Accessories
Proprietary robotic surgery instruments, accessories, and consumables used per procedure on the da Vinci (and Ion) installed base
Global
Hospitals and surgery centers purchasing consumables; surgeons and OR teams as end users
Consumables OEM within proprietary platform
60.8%
Side-by-side metrics
Moat coverage
Shared moat types
Alcon Inc. strengths
Intuitive Surgical, Inc. strengths
Segment mix
Alcon Inc. segments
Full profile >Surgical
Oligopoly
Vision Care
Oligopoly
Intuitive Surgical, Inc. segments
Full profile >Systems
Quasi-Monopoly
Instruments and Accessories
Monopoly
Services
Monopoly
Want the full wide moat stocks list?
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View the moat stocks listLooking for expansion-stage stocks?
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.