VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

British American Tobacco p.l.c. vs Waters Corporation

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

British American Tobacco p.l.c.

BATS · London Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$88.2B
Gross margin (TTM)73.3%
Operating margin (TTM)-24.7%
Net margin (TTM)-20.8%
SectorConsumer
IndustryTobacco
CountryGB
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
71/ 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 British American Tobacco p.l.c.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View BATS 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 gap: British American Tobacco p.l.c. leads (71 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Waters Corporation).
  • Segment focus: British American Tobacco p.l.c. has 6 segments (80% in Combustibles); Waters Corporation has 4 segments (34.9% in Waters instrument systems).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: British American Tobacco p.l.c. has 6 moat types across 3 domains; Waters Corporation has 7 across 2.

Primary market context

British American Tobacco p.l.c.

Combustibles

Market

Combustible tobacco (cigarettes and other combustible products)

Geography

Global

Customer

Adult nicotine consumers via retail/wholesale channels

Role

Manufacturer / brand owner

Revenue share

80%

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

British American Tobacco p.l.c.
Waters Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
BATS - London Stock Exchange
WAT - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$88.2B
$23.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
73.3%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
-24.7%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
-20.8%
n/a
Sector
Consumer
Healthcare
Industry
Tobacco
n/a
HQ country
GB
US
Primary segment
Combustibles
Waters instrument systems
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Moderate
Moat score
71 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal
Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-09

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustInstalled Base Consumables

British American Tobacco p.l.c. strengths

Distribution ControlCompliance AdvantageOperational ExcellenceCapability adjacency

Waters Corporation strengths

Data Workflow LockinDesign In QualificationSupply Chain ControlLong Term ContractsService Field Network

Segment mix

British American Tobacco p.l.c. segments

Full profile >

Combustibles

Oligopoly

80%

Vapour

Competitive

6.7%

Heated Products

Oligopoly

3.6%

Modern Oral

Oligopoly

3.1%

Traditional Oral

Oligopoly

4.2%

Other

Competitive

2.5%

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%

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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.