VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

Caterpillar Inc. vs Halma plc

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)$277.7B
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

Halma plc

HLMA · London Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorTechnology
Industry
CountryGB
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
59/ 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 Halma plc's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View HLMA analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Caterpillar Inc. leads (68 / 100 vs 59 / 100 for Halma plc).
  • Segment focus: Caterpillar Inc. has 5 segments (40.7% in Energy & Transportation); Halma plc has 3 segments (40% in Safety).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Caterpillar Inc. has 9 moat types across 4 domains; Halma plc has 4 across 2.

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%

Halma plc

Safety

Market

Safety technologies (fire safety, public safety, worker safety, and protection of critical assets/infrastructure)

Geography

Global

Customer

Commercial/industrial facility owners and operators; infrastructure operators; installers and OEM channels

Role

Technology OEM / component + systems supplier

Revenue share

40%

Side-by-side metrics

Caterpillar Inc.
Halma plc
Ticker / Exchange
CAT - New York Stock Exchange
HLMA - London Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$277.7B
n/a
Gross margin (TTM)
33.9%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
17.7%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
14.3%
n/a
Sector
Industrials
Technology
Industry
Agricultural - Machinery
n/a
HQ country
US
GB
Primary segment
Energy & Transportation
Safety
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
68 / 100
59 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Financial, Network
Legal, Demand
Last update
2025-12-25
2026-01-02

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Design In Qualification

Caterpillar Inc. strengths

Distribution ControlInstalled Base ConsumablesBrand TrustService Field NetworkCapex Knowhow ScaleSuite BundlingUnderwriting Risk PoolingEcosystem Complements

Halma plc strengths

Compliance AdvantageProcurement InertiaSwitching 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%

Halma plc segments

Full profile >

Safety

Competitive

40%

Environmental & Analysis

Competitive

35%

Healthcare

Competitive

25%

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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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.