VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Stock Comparison

Costco Wholesale Corporation vs Gilead Sciences, Inc.

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

Costco Wholesale Corporation

COST · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$379.8B
SectorConsumer
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-21
Moat score
80/ 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 Costco Wholesale Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View COST analysis

Gilead Sciences, Inc.

GILD · NASDAQ Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$155.6B
SectorHealthcare
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
74/ 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 Gilead Sciences, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View GILD analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Costco Wholesale Corporation leads (80 / 100 vs 74 / 100 for Gilead Sciences, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Costco Wholesale Corporation has 2 segments (98.1% in Warehouse club retail); Gilead Sciences, Inc. has 5 segments (68.5% in HIV).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Weak vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Costco Wholesale Corporation has 6 moat types across 3 domains; Gilead Sciences, Inc. has 8 across 3.

Primary market context

Costco Wholesale Corporation

Warehouse club retail

Market

Membership warehouse club retail (warehouse clubs, ancillary services, and e-commerce)

Geography

Global

Customer

Households and small businesses

Role

Retailer (membership club)

Revenue share

98.1%

Gilead Sciences, Inc.

HIV

Market

HIV treatment and prevention medicines (antiretroviral therapy and PrEP)

Geography

Global (U.S. and Europe are major markets)

Customer

Patients/prescribers; reimbursed by public and private payers; distributed via wholesalers and specialty pharmacies

Role

Drug developer and marketing authorization holder

Revenue share

68.5%

Side-by-side metrics

Costco Wholesale Corporation
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
COST - Nasdaq Global Select Market
GILD - NASDAQ Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$379.8B
$155.6B
Sector
Consumer
Healthcare
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Warehouse club retail
HIV
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
50%-60% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Weak
Moderate
Moat score
80 / 100
74 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Financial, Demand
Demand, Legal, Supply
Last update
2025-12-21
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustHabit Default

Costco Wholesale Corporation strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostOperational ExcellenceNegative Working CapitalFloat Prepayment

Gilead Sciences, Inc. strengths

Switching Costs GeneralIP Choke PointService Field NetworkCapex Knowhow ScaleCompliance AdvantageRegulated Standards Pipe

Segment mix

Costco Wholesale Corporation segments

Full profile >

Warehouse club retail

Oligopoly

98.1%

Membership fees (subscription)

Oligopoly

1.9%

Gilead Sciences, Inc. segments

Full profile >

HIV

Oligopoly

68.5%

Oncology (Cell Therapy + Trodelvy)

Oligopoly

11.5%

Liver Disease

Oligopoly

10.6%

Veklury (Remdesivir)

Competitive

6.3%

Other Products

Competitive

3.1%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.