VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

Crown Castle Inc. vs IDEX Corporation

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

Crown Castle Inc.

CCI · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$38.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorReal Estate
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
84/ 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 Crown Castle Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CCI analysis

IDEX Corporation

IEX · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$13.5B
Gross margin (TTM)43.5%
Operating margin (TTM)20.7%
Net margin (TTM)14%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryIndustrial - Machinery
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-23
Moat score
58/ 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 IDEX Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View IEX analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Crown Castle Inc. leads (84 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for IDEX Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Crown Castle Inc. has 2 segments (67% in Towers); IDEX Corporation has 3 segments (39.6% in Health & Science Technologies (HST)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Strong vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Crown Castle Inc. has 3 moat types across 3 domains; IDEX Corporation has 7 across 3.

Primary market context

Crown Castle Inc.

Towers

Market

U.S. macrocell tower leasing (wireless site rental)

Geography

United States

Customer

Mobile network operators

Role

Infrastructure owner/lessor

Revenue share

67%

IDEX Corporation

Health & Science Technologies (HST)

Market

Precision fluidics, optics/photonics, microfluidics, sealing solutions, pneumatic components, and process technologies for life science/diagnostics, semiconductor, aerospace/defense, and industrial markets

Geography

Global

Customer

Life science & diagnostic instrument OEMs, semiconductor/industrial OEMs, specialty industrial customers

Role

Component/subsystem supplier and specialty equipment provider

Revenue share

39.6%

Side-by-side metrics

Crown Castle Inc.
IDEX Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
CCI - New York Stock Exchange
IEX - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$38.7B
$13.5B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
43.5%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
20.7%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
14%
Sector
Real Estate
Industrials
Industry
n/a
Industrial - Machinery
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Towers
Health & Science Technologies (HST)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
16%-26% (implied)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Moderate
Moat score
84 / 100
58 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Legal, Demand
Demand, Supply, Legal
Last update
2026-01-02
2025-12-23

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Crown Castle Inc. strengths

Physical Network DensityPermits Rights Of WayLong Term Contracts

IDEX Corporation strengths

Design In QualificationData Workflow LockinInstalled Base ConsumablesLearning Curve YieldIP Choke PointBrand TrustProcurement Inertia

Segment mix

Crown Castle Inc. segments

Full profile >

Towers

Oligopoly

67%

Fiber (small cells + fiber solutions)

Competitive

33%

IDEX Corporation segments

Full profile >

Fluid & Metering Technologies (FMT)

Competitive

37.7%

Health & Science Technologies (HST)

Competitive

39.6%

Fire & Safety/Diversified Products (FSDP)

Competitive

22.7%

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.