VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Broadcom Inc. vs Waters Corporation

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

Broadcom Inc.

AVGO · NASDAQ Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$1.6T
Gross margin (TTM)67.8%
Operating margin (TTM)39.9%
Net margin (TTM)36.2%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySemiconductors
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
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 Broadcom Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View AVGO 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: both at 66 / 100.
  • Segment focus: Broadcom Inc. has 2 segments (57.7% in Semiconductor Solutions); Waters Corporation has 4 segments (34.9% in Waters instrument systems).
  • Moat breadth: Broadcom Inc. has 8 moat types across 4 domains; Waters Corporation has 7 across 2.

Primary market context

Broadcom Inc.

Semiconductor Solutions

Market

Fabless semiconductor solutions (data center and AI networking/custom silicon, connectivity, broadband, storage, industrial) plus semiconductor IP licensing

Geography

Global

Customer

Hyperscalers, OEMs, and contract manufacturers; sold via direct sales and distributors

Role

Fabless chip designer and IP licensor; outsources most wafer manufacturing and assembly/test

Revenue share

57.7%

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

Broadcom Inc.
Waters Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
AVGO - NASDAQ Global Select Market
WAT - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$1.6T
$23.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
67.8%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
39.9%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
36.2%
n/a
Sector
Technology
Healthcare
Industry
Semiconductors
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Semiconductor Solutions
Waters instrument systems
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
66 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network
Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-09

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Design In QualificationSupply Chain ControlLong Term Contracts

Broadcom Inc. strengths

Keystone ComponentIP Choke PointSwitching Costs GeneralSuite BundlingEcosystem Complements

Waters Corporation strengths

Data Workflow LockinBrand TrustInstalled Base ConsumablesService Field Network

Segment mix

Broadcom Inc. segments

Full profile >

Semiconductor Solutions

Oligopoly

57.7%

Infrastructure Software

Oligopoly

42.3%

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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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.