VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★
NO ADVICE
Friday, January 2, 2026
Stock Comparison
Ecolab Inc. vs Fastenal Company
Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.
Ecolab Inc.
ECL · New York Stock Exchange
Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.
Fastenal Company
FAST · Nasdaq Stock Market
Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.
Full stock profile
Dive deeper into Fastenal Company's moat claims, evidence, and risks.
View FAST analysisComparison highlights
- Moat score gap: Ecolab Inc. leads (63 / 100 vs 60 / 100 for Fastenal Company).
- Segment focus: Ecolab Inc. has 4 segments (49.5% in Global Industrial); Fastenal Company has 3 segments (54.5% in Branch-based distribution (in-market branches)).
- Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Weak.
- Moat breadth: Ecolab Inc. has 7 moat types across 3 domains; Fastenal Company has 5 across 2.
Primary market context
Ecolab Inc.
Global Industrial
Industrial water treatment & process chemistry (incl. food & beverage processing and pulp & paper process aids)
Global
B2B
formulator + on-site service/optimization provider
49.5%
Fastenal Company
Branch-based distribution (in-market branches)
Industrial & construction supplies distribution (MRO/OEM consumables) via local branches
North America (primary) + select international
B2B
Distributor / MRO supplier
54.5%
Side-by-side metrics
Moat coverage
Shared moat types
Ecolab Inc. strengths
Fastenal Company strengths
Segment mix
Ecolab Inc. segments
Full profile >Global Industrial
Oligopoly
Global Institutional & Specialty
Oligopoly
Global Healthcare & Life Sciences
Oligopoly
Global Pest Elimination
Oligopoly
Fastenal Company segments
Full profile >Branch-based distribution (in-market branches)
Competitive
Onsite solutions (embedded customer locations)
Competitive
Other / non-traditional sales (services & custom manufacturing)
Competitive
Want the full wide moat stocks list?
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View the moat stocks listCuration & 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.