VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. vs Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

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

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

ISRG · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$202.3B
Gross margin (TTM)66.4%
Operating margin (TTM)29.3%
Net margin (TTM)28.6%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryMedical - Instruments & Supplies
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
83/ 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 Intuitive Surgical, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ISRG analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Intuitive Surgical, Inc. leads (83 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. has 3 segments (74% in Road transportation fuel (retail fuel and related mobility services)); Intuitive Surgical, Inc. has 3 segments (60.8% in Instruments and Accessories).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Monopoly. Pricing power: Weak vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. has 5 moat types across 2 domains; Intuitive Surgical, Inc. has 9 across 4.

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%

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

Instruments and Accessories

Market

Proprietary robotic surgery instruments, accessories, and consumables used per procedure on the da Vinci (and Ion) installed base

Geography

Global

Customer

Hospitals and surgery centers purchasing consumables; surgeons and OR teams as end users

Role

Consumables OEM within proprietary platform

Revenue share

60.8%

Side-by-side metrics

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ATD - Toronto Stock Exchange
ISRG - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$70.7B
$202.3B
Gross margin (TTM)
18.5%
66.4%
Operating margin (TTM)
5.3%
29.3%
Net margin (TTM)
3.6%
28.6%
Sector
Consumer
Healthcare
Industry
Specialty Retail
Medical - Instruments & Supplies
HQ country
CA
US
Primary segment
Road transportation fuel (retail fuel and related mobility services)
Instruments and Accessories
Market structure
Competitive
Monopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Weak
Strong
Moat score
58 / 100
83 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Supply, Demand, Network, Legal
Last update
2026-01-05
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. strengths

Physical Network DensityOperational ExcellenceBrand TrustSupply Chain ControlScope Economies

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. strengths

Capex Knowhow ScaleTraining Org Change CostsEcosystem ComplementsProcurement InertiaInstalled Base ConsumablesIP Choke PointService Field NetworkData Workflow LockinLong Term Contracts

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%

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Systems

Quasi-Monopoly

23.5%

Instruments and Accessories

Monopoly

60.8%

Services

Monopoly

15.6%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

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.