VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. vs Elevance Health, Inc.

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

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

BRK.B · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$1.1T
Gross margin (TTM)28.7%
Operating margin (TTM)15.8%
Net margin (TTM)17.8%
SectorFinancials
IndustryInsurance - Diversified
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
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 Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View BRK.B analysis

Elevance Health, Inc.

ELV · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$82.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorHealthcare
IndustryMedical - Healthcare Plans
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-09
Moat score
74/ 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 Elevance Health, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ELV analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Elevance Health, Inc. leads (74 / 100 vs 64 / 100 for Berkshire Hathaway Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has 11 segments (28.3% in Insurance (underwriting + investment income)); Elevance Health, Inc. has 3 segments (85.2% in Health Benefits).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: n/a vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has 17 moat types across 4 domains; Elevance Health, Inc. has 8 across 3.

Primary market context

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

Insurance (underwriting + investment income)

Market

Insurance and reinsurance (property and casualty + life/health), including float-funded investing

Geography

Global

Customer

Consumers and businesses (policyholders) and insurers (reinsurance cedents)

Role

Underwriter and reinsurer plus investment manager of float

Revenue share

28.3%

Elevance Health, Inc.

Health Benefits

Market

U.S. health insurance and managed care

Geography

United States

Customer

Employers, individuals, and government programs

Role

Payer / managed care organization

Revenue share

85.2%

Side-by-side metrics

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
Elevance Health, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
BRK.B - New York Stock Exchange
ELV - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$1.1T
$82.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
28.7%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
15.8%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
17.8%
n/a
Sector
Financials
Healthcare
Industry
Insurance - Diversified
Medical - Healthcare Plans
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Insurance (underwriting + investment income)
Health Benefits
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
n/a
Moderate
Moat score
64 / 100
74 / 100
Moat domains
Financial, Supply, Demand, Legal
Legal, Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-09

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustConcession LicenseScale Economies Unit CostScope Economies

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. strengths

Float PrepaymentCapacity MoatPhysical Network DensityLong Term ContractsPermits Rights Of WayDesign In QualificationCapex Knowhow ScaleIP Choke PointDistribution ControlTraining Org Change CostsPreferential Input AccessService Field NetworkCost Of Capital Advantage

Elevance Health, Inc. strengths

Government Contracting RelationshipsData Workflow LockinSuite BundlingSwitching Costs General

Segment mix

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. segments

Full profile >

Insurance (underwriting + investment income)

Competitive

28.3%

BNSF Railway (freight rail transportation)

Oligopoly

6.4%

Berkshire Hathaway Energy (regulated utilities, pipelines, renewables)

Monopoly

7.1%

Industrial products manufacturing (PCC, Lubrizol, IMC, Marmon, etc.)

Oligopoly

9.7%

Building products & housing (Clayton Homes, Shaw, Johns Manville, Benjamin Moore, etc.)

Competitive

7.2%

Consumer products manufacturing (Duracell, Forest River, apparel/footwear, toys, etc.)

Competitive

4%

Service businesses (FlightSafety, NetJets, TTI, Dairy Queen, etc.)

Competitive

5.6%

Retailing businesses (Berkshire Hathaway Automotive, home furnishings, jewelry, See's, etc.)

Competitive

5.2%

Pilot Travel Centers (travel centers + wholesale fuel marketing)

Oligopoly

12.6%

McLane (wholesale distribution to convenience stores and restaurants)

Oligopoly

14%

Holding company capital allocation and investing

Competitive

n/a

Elevance Health, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Health Benefits

Oligopoly

85.2%

CarelonRx

Oligopoly

12.8%

Carelon Services

Competitive

1.9%

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.