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 Linde plc

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

Linde plc

LIN · Nasdaq Stock Market

Market cap (USD)$207.4B

Gross margin (TTM)40.5%

Operating margin (TTM)27.2%

Net margin (TTM)21.2%

SectorMaterials

IndustryChemicals - Specialty

CountryIE

Data as of2025-12-29

Moat score

72/ 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 Linde plc's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View LIN analysis

Comparison highlights

Moat score gap: Linde plc leads (72 / 100 vs 71 / 100 for Alcon Inc.).
Segment focus: Alcon Inc. has 2 segments (56% in Surgical); Linde plc has 4 segments (43.8% in Americas).
Moat breadth: Alcon Inc. has 7 moat types across 3 domains; Linde plc has 5 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%

Linde plc

Americas

Market

Industrial gases (Americas)

Geography

Americas

Customer

B2B + healthcare

Role

Producer, distributor, on-site plant owner/operator

Revenue share

43.8%

Side-by-side metrics

Alcon Inc.

Linde plc

Ticker / Exchange

ALC - New York Stock Exchange

LIN - Nasdaq Stock Market

Market cap (USD)

$39.8B

$207.4B

Gross margin (TTM)

n/a

40.5%

Operating margin (TTM)

n/a

27.2%

Net margin (TTM)

n/a

21.2%

Sector

Healthcare

Materials

Industry

n/a

Chemicals - Specialty

HQ country

Primary segment

Surgical

Americas

Market structure

Oligopoly

Market share

40%-46% (implied)

n/a

HHI estimate

n/a

Pricing power

Moderate

Moat score

71 / 100

72 / 100

Moat domains

Demand, Supply, Legal

Last update

2026-01-10

2025-12-29

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Capex Knowhow Scale

Alcon Inc. strengths

Installed Base ConsumablesSuite BundlingService Field NetworkCompliance AdvantageBrand TrustProcurement Inertia

Linde plc strengths

Long Term ContractsPhysical Network DensityScale Economies Unit CostIP Choke Point

Segment mix

Alcon Inc. segments

Full profile >

Surgical

Oligopoly

56%

Vision Care

Oligopoly

44%

Linde plc segments

Full profile >

Americas

Oligopoly

43.8%

EMEA

Oligopoly

25.3%

APAC

Oligopoly

20.1%

Engineering

Competitive

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.

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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.