VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

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Thursday, January 8, 2026

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Stock Comparison

Casey's General Stores, Inc. vs Ecolab Inc.

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

Casey's General Stores, Inc.

CASY · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$21B
Gross margin (TTM)23.4%
Operating margin (TTM)5.3%
Net margin (TTM)3.6%
SectorConsumer
IndustrySpecialty Retail
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
54/ 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 Casey's General Stores, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CASY analysis

Ecolab Inc.

ECL · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$74.6B
Gross margin (TTM)44.3%
Operating margin (TTM)17.3%
Net margin (TTM)12.5%
SectorMaterials
IndustryChemicals - Specialty
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-01
Moat score
63/ 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 Ecolab Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ECL analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Ecolab Inc. leads (63 / 100 vs 54 / 100 for Casey's General Stores, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Casey's General Stores, Inc. has 4 segments (61.3% in Fuel); Ecolab Inc. has 4 segments (49.5% in Global Industrial).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Weak vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Casey's General Stores, Inc. has 7 moat types across 2 domains; Ecolab Inc. has 7 across 3.

Primary market context

Casey's General Stores, Inc.

Fuel

Market

Retail motor fuel sold through convenience-store fuel sites (gasoline and diesel)

Geography

United States (Casey's operating footprint; Midwest/South)

Customer

Motorists / consumers (in-store and pay-at-the-pump transactions)

Role

Fuel retailer (with some self-distribution/wholesale capabilities)

Revenue share

61.3%

Ecolab Inc.

Global Industrial

Market

Industrial water treatment & process chemistry (incl. food & beverage processing and pulp & paper process aids)

Geography

Global

Customer

B2B

Role

formulator + on-site service/optimization provider

Revenue share

49.5%

Side-by-side metrics

Casey's General Stores, Inc.
Ecolab Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CASY - NASDAQ
ECL - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$21B
$74.6B
Gross margin (TTM)
23.4%
44.3%
Operating margin (TTM)
5.3%
17.3%
Net margin (TTM)
3.6%
12.5%
Sector
Consumer
Materials
Industry
Specialty Retail
Chemicals - Specialty
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Fuel
Global Industrial
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Weak
Moderate
Moat score
54 / 100
63 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply
Supply, Demand, Legal
Last update
2026-01-06
2026-01-01

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand Trust

Casey's General Stores, Inc. strengths

Operational ExcellencePhysical Network DensityDistribution ControlHabit DefaultSupply Chain ControlScope Economies

Ecolab Inc. strengths

Service Field NetworkData Workflow LockinCompliance AdvantageInstalled Base ConsumablesLong Term ContractsTraining Org Change Costs

Segment mix

Casey's General Stores, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Prepared Food and Dispensed Beverage

Competitive

10.1%

Grocery and General Merchandise

Competitive

26%

Fuel

Competitive

61.3%

Other (wholesale fuel, car wash, lottery)

Competitive

2.6%

Ecolab Inc. segments

Full profile >

Global Industrial

Oligopoly

49.5%

Global Institutional & Specialty

Oligopoly

34.1%

Global Healthcare & Life Sciences

Oligopoly

9%

Global Pest Elimination

Oligopoly

7.4%

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.