VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

Cochlear Limited vs Fastenal Company

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

Cochlear Limited

COH · ASX

Market cap (USD)$17B
Gross margin (TTM)74.5%
Operating margin (TTM)22.7%
Net margin (TTM)16.2%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryMedical - Devices
CountryAU
Data as of2026-01-04
Moat score
81/ 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 Cochlear Limited's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View COH 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: Cochlear Limited leads (81 / 100 vs 57 / 100 for Fastenal Company).
  • Segment focus: Cochlear Limited has 3 segments (62.4% in Cochlear Implants); Fastenal Company has 2 segments (55.7% in Core industrial & construction supplies distribution (branches, Onsite, eBusiness excl. FMI)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Weak.
  • Moat breadth: Cochlear Limited has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Fastenal Company has 4 across 2.

Primary market context

Cochlear Limited

Cochlear Implants

Market

Cochlear implant systems (internal implant + external sound processors) for severe-to-profound hearing loss

Geography

Global

Customer

Hospitals/ENT clinics and audiology programs (providers) serving implant candidates/recipients; reimbursed by public/private payers

Role

Medical device OEM / platform owner (implant + processor + fitting software + clinical support)

Revenue share

62.4%

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

Cochlear Limited
Fastenal Company
Ticker / Exchange
COH - ASX
FAST - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$17B
$46.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
74.5%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
22.7%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
16.2%
n/a
Sector
Healthcare
Industrials
Industry
Medical - Devices
n/a
HQ country
AU
US
Primary segment
Cochlear Implants
Core industrial & construction supplies distribution (branches, Onsite, eBusiness excl. FMI)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
60%-65% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Weak
Moat score
81 / 100
57 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Legal, Supply
Supply, Demand
Last update
2026-01-04
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Service Field NetworkData Workflow Lockin

Cochlear Limited strengths

Brand TrustCompliance AdvantageCapex Knowhow ScaleIP Choke PointInstalled Base ConsumablesFormat Lock In

Fastenal Company strengths

Procurement InertiaOperational Excellence

Segment mix

Cochlear Limited segments

Full profile >

Cochlear Implants

Oligopoly

62.4%

Services

Monopoly

25.9%

Acoustics

Oligopoly

11.7%

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.