VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

Canadian National Railway Company vs Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

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

Canadian National Railway Company

CNR · Toronto Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$61.2B
SectorIndustrials
CountryCA
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
97/ 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 Canadian National Railway Company's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CNR analysis

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

ISRG · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)
SectorHealthcare
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
83/ 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 Intuitive Surgical, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ISRG analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Canadian National Railway Company leads (97 / 100 vs 83 / 100 for Intuitive Surgical, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Canadian National Railway Company has 2 segments (96.2% in Rail freight transportation network); Intuitive Surgical, Inc. has 3 segments (60.8% in Instruments and Accessories).
  • Primary market structure: Duopoly vs Monopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Canadian National Railway Company has 4 moat types across 2 domains; Intuitive Surgical, Inc. has 9 across 4.

Primary market context

Canadian National Railway Company

Rail freight transportation network

Market

Canadian Class I freight rail transportation

Geography

Canada (with U.S. cross-border corridors)

Customer

Industrial shippers, intermodal customers, and auto supply chains

Role

Line-haul freight railway (Class I)

Revenue share

96.2%

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

Instruments and Accessories

Market

Proprietary robotic surgery instruments, accessories, and consumables used per procedure on the da Vinci (and Ion) installed base

Geography

Global

Customer

Hospitals and surgery centers purchasing consumables; surgeons and OR teams as end users

Role

Consumables OEM within proprietary platform

Revenue share

60.8%

Side-by-side metrics

Canadian National Railway Company
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CNR - Toronto Stock Exchange
ISRG - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$61.2B
n/a
Sector
Industrials
Healthcare
HQ country
CA
US
Primary segment
Rail freight transportation network
Instruments and Accessories
Market structure
Duopoly
Monopoly
Market share
50%-56% (estimated)
n/a
HHI estimate
4,031
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
97 / 100
83 / 100
Moat domains
Legal, Supply
Supply, Demand, Network, Legal
Last update
2025-12-30
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Canadian National Railway Company strengths

Permits Rights Of WayPhysical Network DensityScale Economies Unit CostScope Economies

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. strengths

Capex Knowhow ScaleTraining Org Change CostsEcosystem ComplementsProcurement InertiaInstalled Base ConsumablesIP Choke PointService Field NetworkData Workflow LockinLong Term Contracts

Segment mix

Canadian National Railway Company segments

Full profile >

Rail freight transportation network

Duopoly

96.2%

Non-rail logistics and ancillary services

Competitive

3.8%

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Systems

Quasi-Monopoly

23.5%

Instruments and Accessories

Monopoly

60.8%

Services

Monopoly

15.6%

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.