VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Alcon Inc. vs Synopsys, 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

Synopsys, Inc.

SNPS · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$100.5B
Gross margin (TTM)73.1%
Operating margin (TTM)13%
Net margin (TTM)18.9%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySoftware - Infrastructure
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-29
Moat score
85/ 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 Synopsys, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View SNPS analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Synopsys, Inc. leads (85 / 100 vs 71 / 100 for Alcon Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Alcon Inc. has 2 segments (56% in Surgical); Synopsys, Inc. has 2 segments (75.2% in Design Automation).
  • Moat breadth: Alcon Inc. has 7 moat types across 3 domains; Synopsys, Inc. has 5 across 2.

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%

Synopsys, Inc.

Design Automation

Market

Electronic design automation (EDA) software and silicon-to-systems simulation & analysis tools

Geography

Global

Customer

Semiconductor and systems companies (chip/system designers)

Role

Software + hardware tooling provider / platform

Revenue share

75.2%

Side-by-side metrics

Alcon Inc.
Synopsys, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ALC - New York Stock Exchange
SNPS - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$39.8B
$100.5B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
73.1%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
13%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
18.9%
Sector
Healthcare
Technology
Industry
n/a
Software - Infrastructure
HQ country
CH
US
Primary segment
Surgical
Design Automation
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
40%-46% (implied)
30%-32% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
2,140
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
71 / 100
85 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal
Demand, Supply
Last update
2026-01-10
2025-12-29

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Installed Base ConsumablesSuite BundlingCapex Knowhow Scale

Alcon Inc. strengths

Service Field NetworkCompliance AdvantageBrand TrustProcurement Inertia

Synopsys, Inc. strengths

Switching Costs GeneralDesign In Qualification

Segment mix

Alcon Inc. segments

Full profile >

Surgical

Oligopoly

56%

Vision Care

Oligopoly

44%

Synopsys, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Design Automation

Oligopoly

75.2%

Design IP

Oligopoly

24.8%

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.