VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

Applied Materials, Inc. vs Fastenal Company

Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.

Applied Materials, Inc.

AMAT · The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

Market cap (USD)$203.3B
Gross margin (TTM)48.7%
Operating margin (TTM)29.2%
Net margin (TTM)24.7%
SectorTechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-22
Moat score
76/ 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 Applied Materials, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View AMAT analysis

Fastenal Company

FAST · Nasdaq Stock Market

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorIndustrials
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-01
Moat score
60/ 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 Fastenal Company's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View FAST analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Applied Materials, Inc. leads (76 / 100 vs 60 / 100 for Fastenal Company).
  • Segment focus: Applied Materials, Inc. has 2 segments (73.3% in Semiconductor Systems); Fastenal Company has 3 segments (54.5% in Branch-based distribution (in-market branches)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Weak.
  • Moat breadth: Applied Materials, Inc. has 7 moat types across 3 domains; Fastenal Company has 5 across 2.

Primary market context

Applied Materials, Inc.

Semiconductor Systems

Market

Wafer fabrication equipment (WFE) and adjacent front-end process equipment (deposition, etch, CMP, metrology/inspection) plus advanced packaging tools

Geography

Global

Customer

Semiconductor manufacturers (foundry, logic, memory) and advanced packaging providers

Role

OEM equipment supplier

Revenue share

73.3%

Fastenal Company

Branch-based distribution (in-market branches)

Market

Industrial & construction supplies distribution (MRO/OEM consumables) via local branches

Geography

North America (primary) + select international

Customer

B2B

Role

Distributor / MRO supplier

Revenue share

54.5%

Side-by-side metrics

Applied Materials, Inc.
Fastenal Company
Ticker / Exchange
AMAT - The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
FAST - Nasdaq Stock Market
Market cap (USD)
$203.3B
n/a
Gross margin (TTM)
48.7%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
29.2%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
24.7%
n/a
Sector
Technology
Industrials
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Semiconductor Systems
Branch-based distribution (in-market branches)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
16%-20% (implied)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Weak
Moat score
76 / 100
60 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Legal
Supply, Demand
Last update
2025-12-22
2026-01-01

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Scope Economies

Applied Materials, Inc. strengths

Capex Knowhow ScaleDesign In QualificationIP Choke PointInstalled Base ConsumablesService Field NetworkLong Term Contracts

Fastenal Company strengths

Physical Network DensityOperational ExcellenceSwitching Costs GeneralData Workflow Lockin

Segment mix

Applied Materials, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Semiconductor Systems

Oligopoly

73.3%

Applied Global Services (AGS)

Competitive

22.5%

Fastenal Company segments

Full profile >

Branch-based distribution (in-market branches)

Competitive

54.5%

Onsite solutions (embedded customer locations)

Competitive

42.4%

Other / non-traditional sales (services & custom manufacturing)

Competitive

3.1%

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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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.