VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. vs Illinois Tool Works Inc.

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

CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc.

CRWD · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$113.8B
Gross margin (TTM)74.3%
Operating margin (TTM)-7.9%
Net margin (TTM)-6.9%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySoftware - Infrastructure
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-05
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 CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CRWD analysis

Illinois Tool Works Inc.

ITW · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$73.1B
Gross margin (TTM)43.6%
Operating margin (TTM)26.2%
Net margin (TTM)19.1%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryIndustrial - Machinery
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
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 Illinois Tool Works Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ITW analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. leads (80 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Illinois Tool Works Inc.).
  • Segment focus: CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. has 2 segments (95.1% in Falcon Platform Subscriptions); Illinois Tool Works Inc. has 7 segments (20% in Automotive OEM).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. has 5 moat types across 2 domains; Illinois Tool Works Inc. has 8 across 3.

Primary market context

CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc.

Falcon Platform Subscriptions

Market

Cloud-native endpoint, workload and identity protection / XDR cybersecurity platforms

Geography

Global

Customer

Enterprises, SMBs, and public sector organizations (end-users via direct sales and channel partners)

Role

SaaS cybersecurity platform vendor

Revenue share

95.1%

Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Automotive OEM

Market

Automotive OEM engineered components and fasteners

Geography

Global

Customer

Automotive OEMs and Tier suppliers

Role

Component supplier

Revenue share

20%

Side-by-side metrics

CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc.
Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CRWD - NASDAQ
ITW - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$113.8B
$73.1B
Gross margin (TTM)
74.3%
43.6%
Operating margin (TTM)
-7.9%
26.2%
Net margin (TTM)
-6.9%
19.1%
Sector
Technology
Industrials
Industry
Software - Infrastructure
Industrial - Machinery
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Falcon Platform Subscriptions
Automotive OEM
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
17.7% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
80 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand
Demand, Supply, Legal
Last update
2026-01-05
2025-12-31

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Switching Costs General

CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. strengths

Data Network EffectsEcosystem ComplementsSuite BundlingReputation Reviews

Illinois Tool Works Inc. strengths

Design In QualificationOperational ExcellenceBrand TrustService Field NetworkInstalled Base ConsumablesFormulation and application engineering know-howIP Choke Point

Segment mix

CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Falcon Platform Subscriptions

Oligopoly

95.1%

Professional Services (Incident Response & Proactive Services)

Competitive

4.9%

Illinois Tool Works Inc. segments

Full profile >

Automotive OEM

Competitive

20%

Food Equipment

Oligopoly

16.6%

Test & Measurement and Electronics

Oligopoly

17.7%

Welding

Oligopoly

11.6%

Polymers & Fluids

Competitive

11.1%

Construction Products

Competitive

12%

Specialty Products

Oligopoly

10.9%

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.