VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Amgen Inc. vs Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

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

Amgen Inc.

AMGN · Nasdaq Stock Market

Market cap (USD)$175.6B
Gross margin (TTM)66.2%
Operating margin (TTM)24.1%
Net margin (TTM)19.5%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryDrug Manufacturers - General
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-22
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 Amgen Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View AMGN analysis

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

VRTX · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$119B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorHealthcare
IndustryBiotechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-08
Moat score
99/ 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 Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View VRTX analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated leads (99 / 100 vs 70 / 100 for Amgen Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Amgen Inc. has 3 segments (80.1% in Core Innovative Medicines); Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has 3 segments (99.9% in Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Quasi-Monopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Amgen Inc. has 5 moat types across 3 domains; Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has 7 across 4.

Primary market context

Amgen Inc.

Core Innovative Medicines

Market

Branded biopharmaceutical therapies for common diseases (bone health, inflammation, oncology, cardiovascular and other specialty areas)

Geography

Global

Customer

Payers, providers, and pharmacies

Role

Drug developer/manufacturer

Revenue share

80.1%

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators

Market

CFTR modulator therapies for cystic fibrosis

Geography

U.S., Europe, Australia, Canada

Customer

Patients (via specialty pharmacies/payers); CF care centers

Role

Drug developer/manufacturer

Revenue share

99.9%

Side-by-side metrics

Amgen Inc.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
AMGN - Nasdaq Stock Market
VRTX - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$175.6B
$119B
Gross margin (TTM)
66.2%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
24.1%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
19.5%
n/a
Sector
Healthcare
Healthcare
Industry
Drug Manufacturers - General
Biotechnology
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Core Innovative Medicines
Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators
Market structure
Competitive
Quasi-Monopoly
Market share
n/a
70%-78% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
70 / 100
99 / 100
Moat domains
Legal, Supply, Demand
Legal, Demand, Financial, Supply
Last update
2025-12-22
2026-01-08

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

IP Choke PointRegulated Standards Pipe

Amgen Inc. strengths

Capex Knowhow ScaleBrand TrustLearning Curve Yield

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated strengths

Government Contracting RelationshipsSwitching Costs GeneralBenchmark Pricing PowerService Field NetworkCapacity Moat

Segment mix

Amgen Inc. segments

Full profile >

Core Innovative Medicines

Competitive

80.1%

Rare Disease Portfolio (Horizon + others)

Quasi-Monopoly

13.3%

Biosimilars

Oligopoly

6.6%

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators

Quasi-Monopoly

99.9%

Hemoglobinopathies Gene Therapy (CASGEVY)

Oligopoly

0.1%

Acute Pain (JOURNAVX)

Competitive

n/a

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.