VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Cboe Global Markets, Inc. vs Waters Corporation

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

Cboe Global Markets, Inc.

CBOE · Cboe BZX

Market cap (USD)$27.4B
Gross margin (TTM)48.2%
Operating margin (TTM)29.6%
Net margin (TTM)21.3%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Data & Stock Exchanges
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
Moat score
76/ 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 Cboe Global Markets, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CBOE analysis

Waters Corporation

WAT · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$23.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorHealthcare
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-09
Moat score
66/ 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 Waters Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View WAT analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Cboe Global Markets, Inc. leads (76 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Waters Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Cboe Global Markets, Inc. has 5 segments (60.8% in Options); Waters Corporation has 4 segments (34.9% in Waters instrument systems).
  • Moat breadth: Cboe Global Markets, Inc. has 8 moat types across 4 domains; Waters Corporation has 7 across 2.

Primary market context

Cboe Global Markets, Inc.

Options

Market

U.S. listed options exchanges (multi-listed + proprietary index options)

Geography

United States

Customer

Broker-dealers, market makers, institutional investors, retail order-flow intermediaries

Role

Exchange operator (SRO) + derivatives listing venue + market data provider

Revenue share

60.8%

Waters Corporation

Waters instrument systems

Market

Liquid chromatography (LC/UPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS) analytical instrument systems (including LC-MS workflows and instrument control/data system software)

Geography

Global

Customer

Pharma/biotech, industrial, academic and government laboratories

Role

OEM + software/platform provider

Revenue share

34.9%

Side-by-side metrics

Cboe Global Markets, Inc.
Waters Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
CBOE - Cboe BZX
WAT - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$27.4B
$23.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
48.2%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
29.6%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
21.3%
n/a
Sector
Financials
Healthcare
Industry
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Options
Waters instrument systems
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
29%-32% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
76 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Legal, Network, Supply, Demand
Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-31
2026-01-09

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Cboe Global Markets, Inc. strengths

Contractual ExclusivityTwo Sided NetworkCapex Knowhow ScaleRegulated Standards PipeSwitching Costs GeneralClearing SettlementIP Choke PointDe Facto Standard

Waters Corporation strengths

Data Workflow LockinDesign In QualificationBrand TrustInstalled Base ConsumablesSupply Chain ControlLong Term ContractsService Field Network

Segment mix

Cboe Global Markets, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Options

Oligopoly

60.8%

North American Equities

Competitive

18.5%

Europe and Asia Pacific

Oligopoly

10.6%

Futures

Quasi-Monopoly

6.3%

Global FX

Competitive

3.7%

Waters Corporation segments

Full profile >

Waters instrument systems

Oligopoly

34.9%

Chemistry consumables

Competitive

19.1%

Waters service & software maintenance

Competitive

34%

TA instrument systems & service

Oligopoly

12%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.