VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★
NO ADVICE
Saturday, January 10, 2026
Stock Comparison
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. vs Waters Corporation
Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
APD · New York Stock Exchange
Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.
Full stock profile
Dive deeper into Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.
View APD analysisWaters Corporation
WAT · New York Stock Exchange
Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.
Full stock profile
Dive deeper into Waters Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.
View WAT analysisComparison highlights
- Moat score gap: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. leads (70 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Waters Corporation).
- Segment focus: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has 3 segments (51.3% in On-site industrial gases (incl. pipelines)); Waters Corporation has 4 segments (34.9% in Waters instrument systems).
- Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Moderate.
- Moat breadth: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has 6 moat types across 3 domains; Waters Corporation has 7 across 2.
Primary market context
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
On-site industrial gases (incl. pipelines)
On-site supply of industrial gases (oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, etc.)
Global
Large-volume industrial customers (refining, chemicals, metals, electronics)
Producer / operator of on-site plants and pipeline networks
51.3%
Waters Corporation
Waters instrument systems
Liquid chromatography (LC/UPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS) analytical instrument systems (including LC-MS workflows and instrument control/data system software)
Global
Pharma/biotech, industrial, academic and government laboratories
OEM + software/platform provider
34.9%
Side-by-side metrics
Moat coverage
Shared moat types
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. strengths
Waters Corporation strengths
Segment mix
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. segments
Full profile >On-site industrial gases (incl. pipelines)
Oligopoly
Merchant gases (liquid bulk + packaged)
Competitive
Industrial gases equipment (cryogenic & gas processing)
Competitive
Waters Corporation segments
Full profile >Waters instrument systems
Oligopoly
Chemistry consumables
Competitive
Waters service & software maintenance
Competitive
TA instrument systems & service
Oligopoly
Want the full wide moat stocks list?
Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.
View the moat stocks listLooking for expansion-stage stocks?
Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.
View expansion-stage stocksCuration & 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.