VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

CSL Limited vs Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

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

CSL Limited

CSL · ASX

Market cap (USD)$84.4B
Gross margin (TTM)49%
Operating margin (TTM)23.5%
Net margin (TTM)23.1%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryBiotechnology
CountryAU
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
77/ 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 CSL Limited's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CSL analysis

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

VRTX · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$119B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorHealthcare
IndustryBiotechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-08
Moat score
99/ 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 Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View VRTX analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated leads (99 / 100 vs 77 / 100 for CSL Limited).
  • Segment focus: CSL Limited has 3 segments (71.7% in CSL Behring); Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has 3 segments (99.9% in Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Quasi-Monopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: CSL Limited has 7 moat types across 3 domains; Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has 7 across 4.

Primary market context

CSL Limited

CSL Behring

Market

Plasma-derived therapies (immunoglobulins, albumin, coagulation factors) plus recombinant and gene therapies for rare and serious diseases

Geography

Global

Customer

Hospitals, specialty pharmacies, physicians; payers and national health systems

Role

Vertically integrated biopharma (plasma collection -> fractionation/manufacturing -> commercial distribution)

Revenue share

71.7%

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators

Market

CFTR modulator therapies for cystic fibrosis

Geography

U.S., Europe, Australia, Canada

Customer

Patients (via specialty pharmacies/payers); CF care centers

Role

Drug developer/manufacturer

Revenue share

99.9%

Side-by-side metrics

CSL Limited
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
CSL - ASX
VRTX - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$84.4B
$119B
Gross margin (TTM)
49%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
23.5%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
23.1%
n/a
Sector
Healthcare
Healthcare
Industry
Biotechnology
Biotechnology
HQ country
AU
US
Primary segment
CSL Behring
Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators
Market structure
Oligopoly
Quasi-Monopoly
Market share
n/a
70%-78% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
77 / 100
99 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Legal, Demand
Legal, Demand, Financial, Supply
Last update
2026-01-02
2026-01-08

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Government Contracting RelationshipsRegulated Standards PipeCapacity Moat

CSL Limited strengths

Supply Chain ControlPhysical Network DensityOperational ExcellenceProcurement Inertia

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated strengths

IP Choke PointSwitching Costs GeneralBenchmark Pricing PowerService Field Network

Segment mix

CSL Limited segments

Full profile >

CSL Behring

Oligopoly

71.7%

CSL Seqirus

Oligopoly

13.9%

CSL Vifor

Oligopoly

14.4%

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators

Quasi-Monopoly

99.9%

Hemoglobinopathies Gene Therapy (CASGEVY)

Oligopoly

0.1%

Acute Pain (JOURNAVX)

Competitive

n/a

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.