VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Alcon Inc. vs QUALCOMM Incorporated

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

QUALCOMM Incorporated

QCOM · NASDAQ Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$190.4B
Gross margin (TTM)55.4%
Operating margin (TTM)27.9%
Net margin (TTM)12.5%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySemiconductors
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
70/ 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 QUALCOMM Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View QCOM analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Alcon Inc. leads (71 / 100 vs 70 / 100 for QUALCOMM Incorporated).
  • Segment focus: Alcon Inc. has 2 segments (56% in Surgical); QUALCOMM Incorporated has 4 segments (62.8% in Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)).
  • Moat breadth: Alcon Inc. has 7 moat types across 3 domains; QUALCOMM Incorporated has 7 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%

QUALCOMM Incorporated

Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)

Market

Smartphone application processors and cellular modem/RF platforms

Geography

Global

Customer

Smartphone OEMs

Role

fabless semiconductor/platform supplier

Revenue share

62.8%

Side-by-side metrics

Alcon Inc.
QUALCOMM Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
ALC - New York Stock Exchange
QCOM - NASDAQ Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$39.8B
$190.4B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
55.4%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
27.9%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
12.5%
Sector
Healthcare
Technology
Industry
n/a
Semiconductors
HQ country
CH
US
Primary segment
Surgical
Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
40%-46% (implied)
22%-26% (estimated)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
71 / 100
70 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal
Supply, Network, Demand, Legal
Last update
2026-01-10
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Capex Knowhow Scale

Alcon Inc. strengths

Installed Base ConsumablesSuite BundlingService Field NetworkCompliance AdvantageBrand TrustProcurement Inertia

QUALCOMM Incorporated strengths

Keystone ComponentEcosystem ComplementsDesign In QualificationScope EconomiesIP Choke PointLong Term Contracts

Segment mix

Alcon Inc. segments

Full profile >

Surgical

Oligopoly

56%

Vision Care

Oligopoly

44%

QUALCOMM Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)

Oligopoly

62.8%

Automotive silicon (connectivity, digital cockpit, ADAS/AD)

Oligopoly

8.9%

IoT silicon (consumer, industrial, edge networking)

Competitive

14.9%

Wireless technology licensing (cellular SEPs, royalties)

Oligopoly

12.6%

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.