VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

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Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. vs Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

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

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.

CMG · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$54.1B
Gross margin (TTM)25.7%
Operating margin (TTM)16.4%
Net margin (TTM)13%
SectorConsumer
IndustryRestaurants
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-26
Moat score
62/ 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 Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CMG analysis

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

VRTX · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$119B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorHealthcare
IndustryBiotechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-08
Moat score
99/ 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 Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View VRTX analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated leads (99 / 100 vs 62 / 100 for Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Restaurant operations (company-owned Chipotle restaurants)); Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has 3 segments (99.9% in Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Quasi-Monopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has 4 moat types across 2 domains; Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has 7 across 4.

Primary market context

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.

Restaurant operations (company-owned Chipotle restaurants)

Market

Fast-casual restaurants (Mexican-inspired, made-to-order)

Geography

Primarily United States; limited international presence

Customer

Consumers

Role

Company-operated restaurant operator

Revenue share

100%

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators

Market

CFTR modulator therapies for cystic fibrosis

Geography

U.S., Europe, Australia, Canada

Customer

Patients (via specialty pharmacies/payers); CF care centers

Role

Drug developer/manufacturer

Revenue share

99.9%

Side-by-side metrics

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
CMG - New York Stock Exchange
VRTX - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$54.1B
$119B
Gross margin (TTM)
25.7%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
16.4%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
13%
n/a
Sector
Consumer
Healthcare
Industry
Restaurants
Biotechnology
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Restaurant operations (company-owned Chipotle restaurants)
Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators
Market structure
Competitive
Quasi-Monopoly
Market share
n/a
70%-78% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
62 / 100
99 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply
Legal, Demand, Financial, Supply
Last update
2025-12-26
2026-01-08

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. strengths

Brand TrustSupply Chain ControlOperational ExcellenceHabit Default

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated strengths

IP Choke PointGovernment Contracting RelationshipsSwitching Costs GeneralBenchmark Pricing PowerRegulated Standards PipeService Field NetworkCapacity Moat

Segment mix

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Restaurant operations (company-owned Chipotle restaurants)

Competitive

100%

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators

Quasi-Monopoly

99.9%

Hemoglobinopathies Gene Therapy (CASGEVY)

Oligopoly

0.1%

Acute Pain (JOURNAVX)

Competitive

n/a

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.