VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★
NO ADVICE
Wednesday, December 31, 2025
Stock Comparison
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. vs Intuitive Surgical, 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
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 analysisIntuitive Surgical, Inc.
ISRG · NASDAQ
Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.
Full stock profile
Dive deeper into Intuitive Surgical, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.
View ISRG analysisComparison highlights
- Moat score gap: Intuitive Surgical, Inc. leads (83 / 100 vs 64 / 100 for Berkshire Hathaway Inc.).
- Segment focus: Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has 11 segments (28.3% in Insurance (underwriting + investment income)); Intuitive Surgical, Inc. has 3 segments (60.8% in Instruments and Accessories).
- Primary market structure: Competitive vs Monopoly. Pricing power: n/a vs Strong.
- Moat breadth: Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has 17 moat types across 4 domains; Intuitive Surgical, Inc. has 9 across 4.
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%
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
Instruments and Accessories
Proprietary robotic surgery instruments, accessories, and consumables used per procedure on the da Vinci (and Ion) installed base
Global
Hospitals and surgery centers purchasing consumables; surgeons and OR teams as end users
Consumables OEM within proprietary platform
60.8%
Side-by-side metrics
Moat coverage
Shared moat types
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. strengths
Intuitive Surgical, Inc. 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
Intuitive Surgical, Inc. segments
Full profile >Systems
Quasi-Monopoly
Instruments and Accessories
Monopoly
Services
Monopoly
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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.