VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

ASX Limited vs Waters Corporation

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

ASX Limited

ASX · ASX

Market cap (USD)$10.2B
Gross margin (TTM)75.4%
Operating margin (TTM)94.8%
Net margin (TTM)40.9%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Data & Stock Exchanges
CountryAU
Data as of2025-12-28
Moat score
80/ 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 ASX Limited's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ASX analysis

Waters Corporation

WAT · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$23.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorHealthcare
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-09
Moat score
66/ 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 Waters Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View WAT analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: ASX Limited leads (80 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Waters Corporation).
  • Segment focus: ASX Limited has 4 segments (31.5% in Markets); Waters Corporation has 4 segments (34.9% in Waters instrument systems).
  • Primary market structure: Duopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: ASX Limited has 4 moat types across 3 domains; Waters Corporation has 7 across 2.

Primary market context

ASX Limited

Markets

Market

Trading venues for Australian cash equities and exchange-traded derivatives (futures, options)

Geography

Australia

Customer

Brokers/market participants, proprietary trading firms, institutional investors

Role

Market operator / trading venue

Revenue share

31.5%

Waters Corporation

Waters instrument systems

Market

Liquid chromatography (LC/UPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS) analytical instrument systems (including LC-MS workflows and instrument control/data system software)

Geography

Global

Customer

Pharma/biotech, industrial, academic and government laboratories

Role

OEM + software/platform provider

Revenue share

34.9%

Side-by-side metrics

ASX Limited
Waters Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
ASX - ASX
WAT - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$10.2B
$23.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
75.4%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
94.8%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
40.9%
n/a
Sector
Financials
Healthcare
Industry
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
n/a
HQ country
AU
US
Primary segment
Markets
Waters instrument systems
Market structure
Duopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
80%-84% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
6,500
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
80 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Legal, Network, Demand
Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-28
2026-01-09

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow Lockin

ASX Limited strengths

Concession LicenseTwo Sided NetworkSwitching Costs General

Waters Corporation strengths

Design In QualificationBrand TrustInstalled Base ConsumablesSupply Chain ControlLong Term ContractsService Field Network

Segment mix

ASX Limited segments

Full profile >

Listings

Quasi-Monopoly

18.8%

Markets

Duopoly

31.5%

Technology & Data

Competitive

24.9%

Securities & Payments

Monopoly

24.8%

Waters Corporation segments

Full profile >

Waters instrument systems

Oligopoly

34.9%

Chemistry consumables

Competitive

19.1%

Waters service & software maintenance

Competitive

34%

TA instrument systems & service

Oligopoly

12%

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.