VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Brown & Brown, Inc. vs Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

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

Brown & Brown, Inc.

BRO · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$27.5B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorFinancials
IndustryInsurance - Brokers
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-09
Moat score
61/ 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 Brown & Brown, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View BRO analysis

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

VRTX · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$119B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorHealthcare
IndustryBiotechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-08
Moat score
99/ 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 Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View VRTX analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated leads (99 / 100 vs 61 / 100 for Brown & Brown, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Brown & Brown, Inc. has 2 segments (59% in Retail); Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has 3 segments (99.9% in Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Quasi-Monopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Brown & Brown, Inc. has 5 moat types across 3 domains; Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has 7 across 4.

Primary market context

Brown & Brown, Inc.

Retail

Market

Retail insurance brokerage and agency services (commercial P&C, employee benefits, personal lines) plus dealer F&I risk-mitigating products

Geography

Primarily United States; also selected international operations

Customer

Commercial (SMB to mid-market), public/quasi-public entities, professional and individual insured customers; auto/RV dealers for F&I

Role

Insurance intermediary (agent/broker) and risk solutions advisor

Revenue share

59%

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators

Market

CFTR modulator therapies for cystic fibrosis

Geography

U.S., Europe, Australia, Canada

Customer

Patients (via specialty pharmacies/payers); CF care centers

Role

Drug developer/manufacturer

Revenue share

99.9%

Side-by-side metrics

Brown & Brown, Inc.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
BRO - New York Stock Exchange
VRTX - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$27.5B
$119B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
n/a
Sector
Financials
Healthcare
Industry
Insurance - Brokers
Biotechnology
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Retail
Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators
Market structure
Competitive
Quasi-Monopoly
Market share
n/a
70%-78% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
61 / 100
99 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal
Legal, Demand, Financial, Supply
Last update
2026-01-09
2026-01-08

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Brown & Brown, Inc. strengths

Procurement InertiaBrand TrustScale Economies Unit CostContractual ExclusivityPreferential Input Access

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated strengths

IP Choke PointGovernment Contracting RelationshipsSwitching Costs GeneralBenchmark Pricing PowerRegulated Standards PipeService Field NetworkCapacity Moat

Segment mix

Brown & Brown, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Retail

Competitive

59%

Specialty Distribution

Oligopoly

41%

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators

Quasi-Monopoly

99.9%

Hemoglobinopathies Gene Therapy (CASGEVY)

Oligopoly

0.1%

Acute Pain (JOURNAVX)

Competitive

n/a

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.