VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

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Sunday, January 11, 2026

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Stock Comparison

Bentley Systems, Incorporated vs Merck & Co., Inc.

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

Bentley Systems, Incorporated

BSY · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$12.5B
Gross margin (TTM)—
Operating margin (TTM)—
Net margin (TTM)—
SectorTechnology
Industry—
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-10
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 Bentley Systems, Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View BSY analysis

Merck & Co., Inc.

MRK · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$277.7B
Gross margin (TTM)78.3%
Operating margin (TTM)36.4%
Net margin (TTM)29.6%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryDrug Manufacturers - General
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-22
Moat score
71/ 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 Merck & Co., Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MRK analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Merck & Co., Inc. leads (71 / 100 vs 64 / 100 for Bentley Systems, Incorporated).
  • Segment focus: Bentley Systems, Incorporated has 4 segments; Merck & Co., Inc. has 2 segments (89.5% in Pharmaceutical).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Bentley Systems, Incorporated has 7 moat types across 2 domains; Merck & Co., Inc. has 5 across 3.

Primary market context

Bentley Systems, Incorporated

Engineering Applications (Bentley Open)

Market

Infrastructure engineering design and simulation software (CAD/BIM for civil, rail, water, plants, and facilities)

Geography

Global

Customer

Engineering and construction firms; public and private infrastructure owner-operators

Role

Engineering authoring + analysis software vendor

Merck & Co., Inc.

Pharmaceutical

Market

Branded prescription pharmaceuticals & human vaccines

Geography

Global

Customer

Wholesalers/retailers, managed care and government payers, hospitals/clinics

Role

R&D-intensive innovator, manufacturer, and marketer

Revenue share

89.5%

Side-by-side metrics

Bentley Systems, Incorporated
Merck & Co., Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
BSY - NASDAQ
MRK - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$12.5B
$277.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
78.3%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
36.4%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
29.6%
Sector
Technology
Healthcare
Industry
n/a
Drug Manufacturers - General
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Engineering Applications (Bentley Open)
Pharmaceutical
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
64 / 100
71 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Network
Legal, Supply, Demand
Last update
2026-01-10
2025-12-22

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow Lockin

Bentley Systems, Incorporated strengths

Training Org Change CostsSuite BundlingInteroperability HubProcurement InertiaDe Facto StandardEcosystem Complements

Merck & Co., Inc. strengths

IP Choke PointRegulated Standards PipeCapex Knowhow ScaleScope Economies

Segment mix

Bentley Systems, Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Engineering Applications (Bentley Open)

Oligopoly

n/a

Geoprofessional Applications (Seequent)

Oligopoly

n/a

Bentley Infrastructure Cloud (ProjectWise, SYNCHRO, AssetWise)

Oligopoly

n/a

Digital Twin Platform & Asset Analytics (Cesium, iTwin, Asset Analytics)

Competitive

n/a

Merck & Co., Inc. segments

Full profile >

Pharmaceutical

Competitive

89.5%

Animal Health

Oligopoly

9.2%

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.