VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

DLocal Limited vs Waters Corporation

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

DLocal Limited

DLO · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$4.1B
Gross margin (TTM)38.6%
Operating margin (TTM)20.8%
Net margin (TTM)17.8%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySoftware - Infrastructure
CountryUY
Data as of2025-12-27
Moat score
53/ 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 DLocal Limited's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View DLO analysis

Waters Corporation

WAT · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$23.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorHealthcare
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-09
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 Waters Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View WAT analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Waters Corporation leads (66 / 100 vs 53 / 100 for DLocal Limited).
  • Segment focus: DLocal Limited has 1 segment; Waters Corporation has 4 segments (34.9% in Waters instrument systems).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: DLocal Limited has 4 moat types across 3 domains; Waters Corporation has 7 across 2.

Primary market context

DLocal Limited

Payment processing platform (Pay-ins & Pay-outs)

Market

Cross-border payment processing for global merchants in emerging markets

Geography

Global; emerging markets focus (Africa, Asia, Latin America, Middle East)

Customer

Enterprise merchants and platforms

Role

Payment service provider / processor

Waters Corporation

Waters instrument systems

Market

Liquid chromatography (LC/UPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS) analytical instrument systems (including LC-MS workflows and instrument control/data system software)

Geography

Global

Customer

Pharma/biotech, industrial, academic and government laboratories

Role

OEM + software/platform provider

Revenue share

34.9%

Side-by-side metrics

DLocal Limited
Waters Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
DLO - Nasdaq Global Select Market
WAT - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$4.1B
$23.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
38.6%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
20.8%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
17.8%
n/a
Sector
Technology
Healthcare
Industry
Software - Infrastructure
n/a
HQ country
UY
US
Primary segment
Payment processing platform (Pay-ins & Pay-outs)
Waters instrument systems
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
53 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Legal, Demand
Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-27
2026-01-09

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

DLocal Limited strengths

Capex Knowhow ScaleCompliance AdvantageSwitching Costs GeneralOperational Excellence

Waters Corporation strengths

Data Workflow LockinDesign In QualificationBrand TrustInstalled Base ConsumablesSupply Chain ControlLong Term ContractsService Field Network

Segment mix

DLocal Limited segments

Full profile >

Payment processing platform (Pay-ins & Pay-outs)

Competitive

n/a

Waters Corporation segments

Full profile >

Waters instrument systems

Oligopoly

34.9%

Chemistry consumables

Competitive

19.1%

Waters service & software maintenance

Competitive

34%

TA instrument systems & service

Oligopoly

12%

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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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.