VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

BlackRock, Inc. vs Waters Corporation

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

BlackRock, Inc.

BLK · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$168.1B
Gross margin (TTM)51.6%
Operating margin (TTM)32.6%
Net margin (TTM)26.6%
SectorFinancials
IndustryAsset Management
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
Moat score
59/ 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 BlackRock, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View BLK 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: Waters Corporation leads (66 / 100 vs 59 / 100 for BlackRock, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: BlackRock, Inc. has 7 segments (33% in iShares ETFs & ETPs); Waters Corporation has 4 segments (34.9% in Waters instrument systems).
  • Moat breadth: BlackRock, Inc. has 10 moat types across 2 domains; Waters Corporation has 7 across 2.

Primary market context

BlackRock, Inc.

iShares ETFs & ETPs

Market

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and exchange-traded products (ETPs)

Geography

Global

Customer

Institutional and retail (via intermediaries)

Role

ETF sponsor / asset manager

Revenue share

33%

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

BlackRock, Inc.
Waters Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
BLK - New York Stock Exchange
WAT - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$168.1B
$23.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
51.6%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
32.6%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
26.6%
n/a
Sector
Financials
Healthcare
Industry
Asset Management
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
iShares ETFs & ETPs
Waters instrument systems
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
28.3% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
59 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-31
2026-01-09

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustLong Term ContractsData Workflow Lockin

BlackRock, Inc. strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostDistribution ControlOperational ExcellenceSwitching Costs GeneralSuite BundlingProcurement InertiaScope Economies

Waters Corporation strengths

Design In QualificationInstalled Base ConsumablesSupply Chain ControlService Field Network

Segment mix

BlackRock, Inc. segments

Full profile >

iShares ETFs & ETPs

Oligopoly

33%

Institutional Index Mandates (Non-ETF)

Oligopoly

5.7%

Active & Multi-Asset (Public Markets)

Competitive

27.5%

Alternatives & Private Markets

Oligopoly

13.5%

Cash Management (MMFs & cash solutions)

Competitive

5.1%

Aladdin & Technology Services

Oligopoly

7.9%

Distribution & Advisory Services

Competitive

7.3%

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?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

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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.