VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Alcon Inc. vs PDD Holdings 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

PDD Holdings Inc.

PDD · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$168.7B
Gross margin (TTM)56.7%
Operating margin (TTM)22.1%
Net margin (TTM)24.4%
SectorConsumer
IndustrySpecialty Retail
CountryKY
Data as of2025-12-29
Moat score
44/ 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 PDD Holdings Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View PDD analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Alcon Inc. leads (71 / 100 vs 44 / 100 for PDD Holdings Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Alcon Inc. has 2 segments (56% in Surgical); PDD Holdings Inc. has 2 segments.
  • Moat breadth: Alcon Inc. has 7 moat types across 3 domains; PDD Holdings Inc. has 4 across 4.

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%

PDD Holdings Inc.

Pinduoduo China marketplace

Market

China online retail marketplace (value-for-money focus)

Geography

China

Customer

Consumers & third-party merchants

Role

Online marketplace platform

Side-by-side metrics

Alcon Inc.
PDD Holdings Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ALC - New York Stock Exchange
PDD - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$39.8B
$168.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
56.7%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
22.1%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
24.4%
Sector
Healthcare
Consumer
Industry
n/a
Specialty Retail
HQ country
CH
KY
Primary segment
Surgical
Pinduoduo China marketplace
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
44 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal
Network, Supply, Financial, Legal
Last update
2026-01-10
2025-12-29

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Compliance Advantage

Alcon Inc. strengths

Installed Base ConsumablesSuite BundlingService Field NetworkBrand TrustProcurement InertiaCapex Knowhow Scale

PDD Holdings Inc. strengths

Two Sided NetworkScale Economies Unit CostFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

Alcon Inc. segments

Full profile >

Surgical

Oligopoly

56%

Vision Care

Oligopoly

44%

PDD Holdings Inc. segments

Full profile >

Pinduoduo China marketplace

Oligopoly

n/a

Temu international marketplace

Competitive

n/a

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.