VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Wide Moat StocksExpansion-Stage Stocks Home My Collections

Stock Comparison

American Water Works Company, Inc. vs MSCI Inc.

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

MSCI Inc.

MSCI · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$45B
Gross margin (TTM)82.4%
Operating margin (TTM)54.2%
Net margin (TTM)40%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Data & Stock Exchanges
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-28
Moat score
76/ 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 MSCI Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MSCI analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: American Water Works Company, Inc. leads (79 / 100 vs 76 / 100 for MSCI Inc.).
  • Segment focus: American Water Works Company, Inc. has 2 segments (91.7% in Regulated Businesses); MSCI Inc. has 4 segments (55.9% in Index).
  • Primary market structure: Monopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: American Water Works Company, Inc. has 8 moat types across 3 domains; MSCI Inc. has 4 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%

MSCI Inc.

Index

Market

Investment indexes and index licensing

Geography

Global

Customer

Institutional investors and asset managers

Role

Index provider / benchmark administrator

Revenue share

55.9%

Side-by-side metrics

American Water Works Company, Inc.
MSCI Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
AWK - New York Stock Exchange
MSCI - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$25B
$45B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
82.4%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
54.2%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
40%
Sector
Utilities
Financials
Industry
n/a
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Regulated Businesses
Index
Market structure
Monopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
23%-27% (implied)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
79 / 100
76 / 100
Moat domains
Legal, Supply, Demand
Network, Demand, Legal
Last update
2026-01-09
2025-12-28

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Compliance Advantage

American Water Works Company, Inc. strengths

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

MSCI Inc. strengths

De Facto StandardSwitching Costs GeneralData Workflow Lockin

Segment mix

American Water Works Company, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Regulated Businesses

Monopoly

91.7%

Military and Contract Water Services (Other)

Duopoly

8.3%

MSCI Inc. segments

Full profile >

Index

Oligopoly

55.9%

Analytics

Oligopoly

23.6%

Sustainability and Climate

Competitive

11.4%

Private Assets

Competitive

9%

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.