VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

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Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Amazon.com, Inc. vs Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

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

Amazon.com, Inc.

AMZN · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$2.6T
Gross margin (TTM)50.1%
Operating margin (TTM)11%
Net margin (TTM)11.1%
SectorConsumer
IndustrySpecialty Retail
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-29
Moat score
87/ 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 Amazon.com, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View AMZN 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 87 / 100 for Amazon.com, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Amazon.com, Inc. has 4 segments (73.5% in Amazon Stores (Retail, Marketplace, Prime Subscriptions)); Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has 3 segments (99.9% in Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Quasi-Monopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Amazon.com, Inc. has 10 moat types across 4 domains; Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has 7 across 4.

Primary market context

Amazon.com, Inc.

Amazon Stores (Retail, Marketplace, Prime Subscriptions)

Market

US retail ecommerce marketplace and online retail (integrated fulfillment + membership shipping)

Geography

United States

Customer

Consumers and third-party merchants

Role

Marketplace operator, retailer, and fulfillment provider

Revenue share

73.5%

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

Amazon.com, Inc.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
AMZN - NASDAQ
VRTX - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$2.6T
$119B
Gross margin (TTM)
50.1%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
11%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
11.1%
n/a
Sector
Consumer
Healthcare
Industry
Specialty Retail
Biotechnology
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Amazon Stores (Retail, Marketplace, Prime Subscriptions)
Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators
Market structure
Oligopoly
Quasi-Monopoly
Market share
39%-42% (estimated)
70%-78% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
87 / 100
99 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Network, Financial
Legal, Demand, Financial, Supply
Last update
2025-12-29
2026-01-08

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Amazon.com, Inc. strengths

Capex Knowhow ScaleScope EconomiesLong Term ContractsTwo Sided NetworkPhysical Network DensitySuite BundlingHabit DefaultNegative Working CapitalDistribution ControlData Network Effects

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated strengths

IP Choke PointGovernment Contracting RelationshipsSwitching Costs GeneralBenchmark Pricing PowerRegulated Standards PipeService Field NetworkCapacity Moat

Segment mix

Amazon.com, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Oligopoly

16.9%

Amazon Stores (Retail, Marketplace, Prime Subscriptions)

Oligopoly

73.5%

Advertising Services (Amazon Ads / Retail Media)

Oligopoly

8.8%

Other (healthcare, content licensing/distribution, shipping services, co-branded credit card agreements, etc.)

Competitive

0.9%

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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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.