VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. vs Fastenal Company

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

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.

ATD · Toronto Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$70.7B
Gross margin (TTM)18.5%
Operating margin (TTM)5.3%
Net margin (TTM)3.6%
SectorConsumer
IndustrySpecialty Retail
CountryCA
Data as of2026-01-05
Moat score
58/ 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 Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ATD analysis

Fastenal Company

FAST · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$46.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorIndustrials
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
57/ 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: Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. leads (58 / 100 vs 57 / 100 for Fastenal Company).
  • Segment focus: Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. has 3 segments (74% in Road transportation fuel (retail fuel and related mobility services)); Fastenal Company has 2 segments (55.7% in Core industrial & construction supplies distribution (branches, Onsite, eBusiness excl. FMI)).
  • Moat breadth: Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. has 5 moat types across 2 domains; Fastenal Company has 4 across 2.

Primary market context

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.

Road transportation fuel (retail fuel and related mobility services)

Market

Road transportation fuel retail (gasoline/diesel) at convenience sites; includes unmanned/automated fuel stations

Geography

North America and Europe (plus select other regions via the network)

Customer

Consumers and small fleets

Role

Fuel retailer and site operator

Revenue share

74%

Fastenal Company

Core industrial & construction supplies distribution (branches, Onsite, eBusiness excl. FMI)

Market

Wholesale distribution of industrial and construction supplies (fasteners, safety, tools, and other MRO/OEM consumables)

Geography

Primarily North America (with growing international presence)

Customer

Manufacturing (OEM and MRO), non-residential construction, and other commercial customers

Role

Distributor

Revenue share

55.7%

Side-by-side metrics

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.
Fastenal Company
Ticker / Exchange
ATD - Toronto Stock Exchange
FAST - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$70.7B
$46.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
18.5%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
5.3%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
3.6%
n/a
Sector
Consumer
Industrials
Industry
Specialty Retail
n/a
HQ country
CA
US
Primary segment
Road transportation fuel (retail fuel and related mobility services)
Core industrial & construction supplies distribution (branches, Onsite, eBusiness excl. FMI)
Market structure
Competitive
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Weak
Weak
Moat score
58 / 100
57 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Supply, Demand
Last update
2026-01-05
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Operational Excellence

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. strengths

Physical Network DensityBrand TrustSupply Chain ControlScope Economies

Fastenal Company strengths

Service Field NetworkData Workflow LockinProcurement Inertia

Segment mix

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. segments

Full profile >

Merchandise and services (in-store convenience retail)

Competitive

25.2%

Road transportation fuel (retail fuel and related mobility services)

Competitive

74%

Other revenues (ancillary energy and other income streams)

Competitive

0.8%

Fastenal Company segments

Full profile >

Fastenal Managed Inventory (FMI)

Competitive

44.3%

Core industrial & construction supplies distribution (branches, Onsite, eBusiness excl. FMI)

Competitive

55.7%

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 list

Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

View expansion-stage stocks

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.