VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

CDW Corporation vs Fastenal Company

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

CDW Corporation

CDW · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$17.4B
Gross margin (TTM)21.6%
Operating margin (TTM)7.4%
Net margin (TTM)4.8%
SectorTechnology
IndustryInformation Technology Services
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
52/ 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 CDW Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CDW analysis

Fastenal Company

FAST · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$46.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorIndustrials
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
57/ 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 Fastenal Company's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View FAST analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Fastenal Company leads (57 / 100 vs 52 / 100 for CDW Corporation).
  • Segment focus: CDW Corporation has 4 segments (42.1% in Corporate); Fastenal Company has 2 segments (55.7% in Core industrial & construction supplies distribution (branches, Onsite, eBusiness excl. FMI)).
  • Moat breadth: CDW Corporation has 6 moat types across 3 domains; Fastenal Company has 4 across 2.

Primary market context

CDW Corporation

Corporate

Market

IT solutions provider / value-added reseller (VAR) + services for U.S. private-sector businesses (250+ employees)

Geography

United States

Customer

Private-sector enterprises (mid-market and large)

Role

Value-added reseller / systems integrator

Revenue share

42.1%

Fastenal Company

Core industrial & construction supplies distribution (branches, Onsite, eBusiness excl. FMI)

Market

Wholesale distribution of industrial and construction supplies (fasteners, safety, tools, and other MRO/OEM consumables)

Geography

Primarily North America (with growing international presence)

Customer

Manufacturing (OEM and MRO), non-residential construction, and other commercial customers

Role

Distributor

Revenue share

55.7%

Side-by-side metrics

CDW Corporation
Fastenal Company
Ticker / Exchange
CDW - NASDAQ
FAST - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$17.4B
$46.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
21.6%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
7.4%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
4.8%
n/a
Sector
Technology
Industrials
Industry
Information Technology Services
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Corporate
Core industrial & construction supplies distribution (branches, Onsite, eBusiness excl. FMI)
Market structure
Competitive
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Weak
Weak
Moat score
52 / 100
57 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Legal
Supply, Demand
Last update
2026-01-06
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Service Field NetworkProcurement InertiaOperational Excellence

CDW Corporation strengths

Scope EconomiesPreferential Input AccessGovernment Contracting Relationships

Fastenal Company strengths

Data Workflow Lockin

Segment mix

CDW Corporation segments

Full profile >

Corporate

Competitive

42.1%

Small Business

Competitive

7.3%

Public

Competitive

38.8%

Other (UK & Canada)

Competitive

11.8%

Fastenal Company segments

Full profile >

Fastenal Managed Inventory (FMI)

Competitive

44.3%

Core industrial & construction supplies distribution (branches, Onsite, eBusiness excl. FMI)

Competitive

55.7%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.