VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

Cintas Corporation vs Ecolab Inc.

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

Cintas Corporation

CTAS · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)50.3%
Operating margin (TTM)23%
Net margin (TTM)17.6%
SectorIndustrials
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-01
Moat score
63/ 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 Cintas Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CTAS analysis

Ecolab Inc.

ECL · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)44.3%
Operating margin (TTM)17.3%
Net margin (TTM)12.5%
SectorMaterials
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-01
Moat score
63/ 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 Ecolab Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ECL analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score: both at 63 / 100.
  • Segment focus: Cintas Corporation has 3 segments (77.1% in Uniform Rental and Facility Services); Ecolab Inc. has 4 segments (49.5% in Global Industrial).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Cintas Corporation has 5 moat types across 2 domains; Ecolab Inc. has 7 across 3.

Primary market context

Cintas Corporation

Uniform Rental and Facility Services

Market

B2B uniform rental and route-based facility services (entrance mats, restroom supplies, towels/mops, etc.)

Geography

North America (primarily United States; also Canada and Latin America)

Customer

Businesses (SMB to large enterprise) via local delivery routes and branches

Role

Service operator / rental provider (route-based distribution and processing network)

Revenue share

77.1%

Ecolab Inc.

Global Industrial

Market

Industrial water treatment & process chemistry (incl. food & beverage processing and pulp & paper process aids)

Geography

Global

Customer

B2B

Role

formulator + on-site service/optimization provider

Revenue share

49.5%

Side-by-side metrics

Cintas Corporation
Ecolab Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CTAS - NASDAQ
ECL - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
n/a
n/a
Gross margin (TTM)
50.3%
44.3%
Operating margin (TTM)
23%
17.3%
Net margin (TTM)
17.6%
12.5%
Sector
Industrials
Materials
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Uniform Rental and Facility Services
Global Industrial
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
63 / 100
63 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Supply, Demand, Legal
Last update
2026-01-01
2026-01-01

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Service Field Network

Cintas Corporation strengths

Procurement InertiaSuite BundlingOperational ExcellenceSwitching Costs General

Ecolab Inc. strengths

Data Workflow LockinCompliance AdvantageInstalled Base ConsumablesLong Term ContractsTraining Org Change CostsBrand Trust

Segment mix

Cintas Corporation segments

Full profile >

Uniform Rental and Facility Services

Competitive

77.1%

First Aid and Safety Services

Competitive

11.8%

All Other (Fire Protection Services and Uniform Direct Sale)

Competitive

11.1%

Ecolab Inc. segments

Full profile >

Global Industrial

Oligopoly

49.5%

Global Institutional & Specialty

Oligopoly

34.1%

Global Healthcare & Life Sciences

Oligopoly

9%

Global Pest Elimination

Oligopoly

7.4%

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.