VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Alcon Inc. vs VeriSign, 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

VeriSign, Inc.

VRSN · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$23.1B
Gross margin (TTM)88%
Operating margin (TTM)67.6%
Net margin (TTM)49.9%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySoftware - Infrastructure
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
Moat score
100/ 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 VeriSign, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View VRSN analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: VeriSign, Inc. leads (100 / 100 vs 71 / 100 for Alcon Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Alcon Inc. has 2 segments (56% in Surgical); VeriSign, Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Naming Services (.com and .net registry)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Monopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Alcon Inc. has 7 moat types across 3 domains; VeriSign, 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%

VeriSign, Inc.

Naming Services (.com and .net registry)

Market

Registry operator services for .com and .net top-level domains (domain registrations + authoritative DNS resolution)

Geography

Global

Customer

ICANN-accredited domain registrars (wholesale) and, indirectly, registrants

Role

Registry operator / DNS infrastructure provider

Revenue share

100%

Side-by-side metrics

Alcon Inc.
VeriSign, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ALC - New York Stock Exchange
VRSN - Nasdaq Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$39.8B
$23.1B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
88%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
67.6%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
49.9%
Sector
Healthcare
Technology
Industry
n/a
Software - Infrastructure
HQ country
CH
US
Primary segment
Surgical
Naming Services (.com and .net registry)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Monopoly
Market share
40%-46% (implied)
100% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
10,000
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
71 / 100
100 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal
Legal, Network, Supply, Financial
Last update
2026-01-10
2025-12-31

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Alcon Inc. strengths

Installed Base ConsumablesSuite BundlingService Field NetworkCompliance AdvantageBrand TrustProcurement InertiaCapex Knowhow Scale

VeriSign, Inc. strengths

Concession LicenseDe Facto StandardOperational ExcellenceFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

Alcon Inc. segments

Full profile >

Surgical

Oligopoly

56%

Vision Care

Oligopoly

44%

VeriSign, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Naming Services (.com and .net registry)

Monopoly

100%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.