VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★
NO ADVICE
Friday, January 2, 2026
Stock Comparison
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. vs Fastenal Company
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
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 analysisFastenal Company
FAST · Nasdaq Stock Market
Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.
Full stock profile
Dive deeper into Fastenal Company's moat claims, evidence, and risks.
View FAST analysisComparison highlights
- Moat score gap: Berkshire Hathaway Inc. leads (64 / 100 vs 60 / 100 for Fastenal Company).
- Segment focus: Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has 11 segments (28.3% in Insurance (underwriting + investment income)); Fastenal Company has 3 segments (54.5% in Branch-based distribution (in-market branches)).
- Primary market structure: Competitive vs Competitive. Pricing power: n/a vs Weak.
- Moat breadth: Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has 17 moat types across 4 domains; Fastenal Company has 5 across 2.
Primary market context
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
Insurance (underwriting + investment income)
Insurance and reinsurance (property and casualty + life/health), including float-funded investing
Global
Consumers and businesses (policyholders) and insurers (reinsurance cedents)
Underwriter and reinsurer plus investment manager of float
28.3%
Fastenal Company
Branch-based distribution (in-market branches)
Industrial & construction supplies distribution (MRO/OEM consumables) via local branches
North America (primary) + select international
B2B
Distributor / MRO supplier
54.5%
Side-by-side metrics
Moat coverage
Shared moat types
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. strengths
Fastenal Company strengths
Segment mix
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. segments
Full profile >Insurance (underwriting + investment income)
Competitive
BNSF Railway (freight rail transportation)
Oligopoly
Berkshire Hathaway Energy (regulated utilities, pipelines, renewables)
Monopoly
Industrial products manufacturing (PCC, Lubrizol, IMC, Marmon, etc.)
Oligopoly
Building products & housing (Clayton Homes, Shaw, Johns Manville, Benjamin Moore, etc.)
Competitive
Consumer products manufacturing (Duracell, Forest River, apparel/footwear, toys, etc.)
Competitive
Service businesses (FlightSafety, NetJets, TTI, Dairy Queen, etc.)
Competitive
Retailing businesses (Berkshire Hathaway Automotive, home furnishings, jewelry, See's, etc.)
Competitive
Pilot Travel Centers (travel centers + wholesale fuel marketing)
Oligopoly
McLane (wholesale distribution to convenience stores and restaurants)
Oligopoly
Holding company capital allocation and investing
Competitive
Fastenal Company segments
Full profile >Branch-based distribution (in-market branches)
Competitive
Onsite solutions (embedded customer locations)
Competitive
Other / non-traditional sales (services & custom manufacturing)
Competitive
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 listCuration & 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.