VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★
NO ADVICE
Wednesday, December 31, 2025
Stock Comparison
Caterpillar Inc. vs Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.
Caterpillar Inc.
CAT · New York Stock Exchange
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 analysisIntuitive Surgical, Inc.
ISRG · NASDAQ
Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.
Full stock profile
Dive deeper into Intuitive Surgical, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.
View ISRG analysisComparison highlights
- Moat score gap: Intuitive Surgical, Inc. leads (83 / 100 vs 68 / 100 for Caterpillar Inc.).
- Segment focus: Caterpillar Inc. has 5 segments (40.7% in Energy & Transportation); Intuitive Surgical, Inc. has 3 segments (60.8% in Instruments and Accessories).
- Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Monopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
- Moat breadth: Caterpillar Inc. has 9 moat types across 4 domains; Intuitive Surgical, Inc. has 9 across 4.
Primary market context
Caterpillar Inc.
Energy & Transportation
Off-highway engines, power generation, turbines, locomotives and related services
Global
Energy companies, industrial customers, OEMs, rail and marine operators
OEM + aftermarket parts/service
40.7%
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
Instruments and Accessories
Proprietary robotic surgery instruments, accessories, and consumables used per procedure on the da Vinci (and Ion) installed base
Global
Hospitals and surgery centers purchasing consumables; surgeons and OR teams as end users
Consumables OEM within proprietary platform
60.8%
Side-by-side metrics
Moat coverage
Shared moat types
Caterpillar Inc. strengths
Intuitive Surgical, Inc. strengths
Segment mix
Caterpillar Inc. segments
Full profile >Construction Industries
Oligopoly
Resource Industries
Oligopoly
Energy & Transportation
Oligopoly
Financial Products
Competitive
All Other
Competitive
Intuitive Surgical, Inc. segments
Full profile >Systems
Quasi-Monopoly
Instruments and Accessories
Monopoly
Services
Monopoly
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View the moat stocks listCuration & 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.