VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

American Water Works Company, Inc. vs IDEX Corporation

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

IDEX Corporation

IEX · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$13.9B
Gross margin (TTM)43.5%
Operating margin (TTM)20.7%
Net margin (TTM)14%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryIndustrial - Machinery
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-23
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 IDEX Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View IEX analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: American Water Works Company, Inc. leads (79 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for IDEX Corporation).
  • Segment focus: American Water Works Company, Inc. has 2 segments (91.7% in Regulated Businesses); IDEX Corporation has 3 segments (39.6% in Health & Science Technologies (HST)).
  • Primary market structure: Monopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: American Water Works Company, Inc. has 8 moat types across 3 domains; IDEX Corporation has 7 across 3.

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%

IDEX Corporation

Health & Science Technologies (HST)

Market

Precision fluidics, optics/photonics, microfluidics, sealing solutions, pneumatic components, and process technologies for life science/diagnostics, semiconductor, aerospace/defense, and industrial markets

Geography

Global

Customer

Life science & diagnostic instrument OEMs, semiconductor/industrial OEMs, specialty industrial customers

Role

Component/subsystem supplier and specialty equipment provider

Revenue share

39.6%

Side-by-side metrics

American Water Works Company, Inc.
IDEX Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
AWK - New York Stock Exchange
IEX - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$25B
$13.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
43.5%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
20.7%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
14%
Sector
Utilities
Industrials
Industry
n/a
Industrial - Machinery
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Regulated Businesses
Health & Science Technologies (HST)
Market structure
Monopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
79 / 100
58 / 100
Moat domains
Legal, Supply, Demand
Demand, Supply, Legal
Last update
2026-01-09
2025-12-23

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

IDEX Corporation strengths

Design In QualificationData Workflow LockinInstalled Base ConsumablesLearning Curve YieldIP Choke PointBrand TrustProcurement Inertia

Segment mix

American Water Works Company, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Regulated Businesses

Monopoly

91.7%

Military and Contract Water Services (Other)

Duopoly

8.3%

IDEX Corporation segments

Full profile >

Fluid & Metering Technologies (FMT)

Competitive

37.7%

Health & Science Technologies (HST)

Competitive

39.6%

Fire & Safety/Diversified Products (FSDP)

Competitive

22.7%

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.