VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

American Water Works Company, Inc. vs Bentley Systems, Incorporated

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

American Water Works Company, Inc.

AWK · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$25B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorUtilities
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-09
Moat score
79/ 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 American Water Works Company, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View AWK analysis

Bentley Systems, Incorporated

BSY · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$12.5B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorTechnology
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-10
Moat score
64/ 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 Bentley Systems, Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View BSY analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: American Water Works Company, Inc. leads (79 / 100 vs 64 / 100 for Bentley Systems, Incorporated).
  • Segment focus: American Water Works Company, Inc. has 2 segments (91.7% in Regulated Businesses); Bentley Systems, Incorporated has 4 segments.
  • Primary market structure: Monopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: American Water Works Company, Inc. has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Bentley Systems, Incorporated has 7 across 2.

Primary market context

American Water Works Company, Inc.

Regulated Businesses

Market

Regulated water and wastewater utility service in certificated/franchised territories

Geography

United States (14-state footprint)

Customer

Residential, commercial, industrial, public authority, fire service, and sale-for-resale customers

Role

Regulated utility owner/operator (water & wastewater)

Revenue share

91.7%

Bentley Systems, Incorporated

Engineering Applications (Bentley Open)

Market

Infrastructure engineering design and simulation software (CAD/BIM for civil, rail, water, plants, and facilities)

Geography

Global

Customer

Engineering and construction firms; public and private infrastructure owner-operators

Role

Engineering authoring + analysis software vendor

Side-by-side metrics

American Water Works Company, Inc.
Bentley Systems, Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
AWK - New York Stock Exchange
BSY - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$25B
$12.5B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
n/a
Sector
Utilities
Technology
Industry
n/a
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Regulated Businesses
Engineering Applications (Bentley Open)
Market structure
Monopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
79 / 100
64 / 100
Moat domains
Legal, Supply, Demand
Demand, Network
Last update
2026-01-09
2026-01-10

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

American Water Works Company, Inc. strengths

Concession LicensePhysical Network DensityPermits Rights Of WayCompliance AdvantageScale Economies Unit CostLong Term ContractsGovernment Contracting RelationshipsOperational Excellence

Bentley Systems, Incorporated strengths

Training Org Change CostsSuite BundlingInteroperability HubData Workflow LockinProcurement InertiaDe Facto StandardEcosystem Complements

Segment mix

American Water Works Company, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Regulated Businesses

Monopoly

91.7%

Military and Contract Water Services (Other)

Duopoly

8.3%

Bentley Systems, Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Engineering Applications (Bentley Open)

Oligopoly

n/a

Geoprofessional Applications (Seequent)

Oligopoly

n/a

Bentley Infrastructure Cloud (ProjectWise, SYNCHRO, AssetWise)

Oligopoly

n/a

Digital Twin Platform & Asset Analytics (Cesium, iTwin, Asset Analytics)

Competitive

n/a

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.