VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Canadian National Railway Company vs Waters Corporation

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)$86.3B
Gross margin (TTM)48.8%
Operating margin (TTM)37.7%
Net margin (TTM)26.9%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryRailroads
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

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: Canadian National Railway Company leads (97 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Waters Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Canadian National Railway Company has 2 segments (96.2% in Rail freight transportation network); Waters Corporation has 4 segments (34.9% in Waters instrument systems).
  • Primary market structure: Duopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Canadian National Railway Company has 4 moat types across 2 domains; Waters Corporation has 7 across 2.

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%

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

Canadian National Railway Company
Waters Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
CNR - Toronto Stock Exchange
WAT - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$86.3B
$23.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
48.8%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
37.7%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
26.9%
n/a
Sector
Industrials
Healthcare
Industry
Railroads
n/a
HQ country
CA
US
Primary segment
Rail freight transportation network
Waters instrument systems
Market structure
Duopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
50%-56% (estimated)
n/a
HHI estimate
4,031
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
97 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Legal, Supply
Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-09

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Canadian National Railway Company strengths

Permits Rights Of WayPhysical Network DensityScale Economies Unit CostScope Economies

Waters Corporation strengths

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

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%

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?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

View the moat stocks list

Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

View expansion-stage stocks

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.