VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Caterpillar Inc. vs Elevance Health, Inc.

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

Caterpillar Inc.

CAT · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$289.3B
Gross margin (TTM)33.9%
Operating margin (TTM)17.7%
Net margin (TTM)14.3%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryAgricultural - Machinery
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-25
Moat score
68/ 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 Caterpillar Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CAT analysis

Elevance Health, Inc.

ELV · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$82.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorHealthcare
IndustryMedical - Healthcare Plans
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-09
Moat score
74/ 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 Elevance Health, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ELV analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Elevance Health, Inc. leads (74 / 100 vs 68 / 100 for Caterpillar Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Caterpillar Inc. has 5 segments (40.7% in Energy & Transportation); Elevance Health, Inc. has 3 segments (85.2% in Health Benefits).
  • Moat breadth: Caterpillar Inc. has 9 moat types across 4 domains; Elevance Health, Inc. has 8 across 3.

Primary market context

Caterpillar Inc.

Energy & Transportation

Market

Off-highway engines, power generation, turbines, locomotives and related services

Geography

Global

Customer

Energy companies, industrial customers, OEMs, rail and marine operators

Role

OEM + aftermarket parts/service

Revenue share

40.7%

Elevance Health, Inc.

Health Benefits

Market

U.S. health insurance and managed care

Geography

United States

Customer

Employers, individuals, and government programs

Role

Payer / managed care organization

Revenue share

85.2%

Side-by-side metrics

Caterpillar Inc.
Elevance Health, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CAT - New York Stock Exchange
ELV - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$289.3B
$82.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
33.9%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
17.7%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
14.3%
n/a
Sector
Industrials
Healthcare
Industry
Agricultural - Machinery
Medical - Healthcare Plans
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Energy & Transportation
Health Benefits
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
68 / 100
74 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Financial, Network
Legal, Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-25
2026-01-09

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustSuite Bundling

Caterpillar Inc. strengths

Distribution ControlInstalled Base ConsumablesService Field NetworkCapex Knowhow ScaleDesign In QualificationUnderwriting Risk PoolingEcosystem Complements

Elevance Health, Inc. strengths

Concession LicenseScale Economies Unit CostGovernment Contracting RelationshipsData Workflow LockinScope EconomiesSwitching Costs General

Segment mix

Caterpillar Inc. segments

Full profile >

Construction Industries

Oligopoly

35.9%

Resource Industries

Oligopoly

17.5%

Energy & Transportation

Oligopoly

40.7%

Financial Products

Competitive

5.3%

All Other

Competitive

0.6%

Elevance Health, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Health Benefits

Oligopoly

85.2%

CarelonRx

Oligopoly

12.8%

Carelon Services

Competitive

1.9%

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.