VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Stock Comparison

Cochlear Limited vs QUALCOMM Incorporated

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

QUALCOMM Incorporated

QCOM · NASDAQ Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$188.8B
Gross margin (TTM)55.4%
Operating margin (TTM)27.9%
Net margin (TTM)12.5%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySemiconductors
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
70/ 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 QUALCOMM Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View QCOM analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Cochlear Limited leads (81 / 100 vs 70 / 100 for QUALCOMM Incorporated).
  • Segment focus: Cochlear Limited has 3 segments (62.4% in Cochlear Implants); QUALCOMM Incorporated has 4 segments (62.8% in Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)).
  • Moat breadth: Cochlear Limited has 8 moat types across 3 domains; QUALCOMM Incorporated has 7 across 4.

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%

QUALCOMM Incorporated

Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)

Market

Smartphone application processors and cellular modem/RF platforms

Geography

Global

Customer

Smartphone OEMs

Role

fabless semiconductor/platform supplier

Revenue share

62.8%

Side-by-side metrics

Cochlear Limited
QUALCOMM Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
COH - ASX
QCOM - NASDAQ Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$17B
$188.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
74.5%
55.4%
Operating margin (TTM)
22.7%
27.9%
Net margin (TTM)
16.2%
12.5%
Sector
Healthcare
Technology
Industry
Medical - Devices
Semiconductors
HQ country
AU
US
Primary segment
Cochlear Implants
Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
60%-65% (reported)
22%-26% (estimated)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
81 / 100
70 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Legal, Supply
Supply, Network, Demand, Legal
Last update
2026-01-04
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Capex Knowhow ScaleIP Choke Point

Cochlear Limited strengths

Brand TrustCompliance AdvantageService Field NetworkInstalled Base ConsumablesFormat Lock InData Workflow Lockin

QUALCOMM Incorporated strengths

Keystone ComponentEcosystem ComplementsDesign In QualificationScope EconomiesLong Term Contracts

Segment mix

Cochlear Limited segments

Full profile >

Cochlear Implants

Oligopoly

62.4%

Services

Monopoly

25.9%

Acoustics

Oligopoly

11.7%

QUALCOMM Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)

Oligopoly

62.8%

Automotive silicon (connectivity, digital cockpit, ADAS/AD)

Oligopoly

8.9%

IoT silicon (consumer, industrial, edge networking)

Competitive

14.9%

Wireless technology licensing (cellular SEPs, royalties)

Oligopoly

12.6%

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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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.