VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Ecolab Inc. vs Guidewire Software, Inc.

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

Ecolab Inc.

ECL · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$77B
Gross margin (TTM)44.3%
Operating margin (TTM)17.3%
Net margin (TTM)12.5%
SectorMaterials
IndustryChemicals - Specialty
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

Guidewire Software, Inc.

GWRE · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$15.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorTechnology
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-11
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 Guidewire Software, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View GWRE analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score: both at 63 / 100.
  • Segment focus: Ecolab Inc. has 4 segments (49.5% in Global Industrial); Guidewire Software, Inc. has 2 segments (81.8% in Core P&C insurance platform software (InsuranceSuite, InsuranceNow, Guidewire Cloud Platform)).
  • Moat breadth: Ecolab Inc. has 7 moat types across 3 domains; Guidewire Software, Inc. has 7 across 4.

Primary market context

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%

Guidewire Software, Inc.

Core P&C insurance platform software (InsuranceSuite, InsuranceNow, Guidewire Cloud Platform)

Market

Property & casualty insurance core systems platforms (policy administration, claims, billing) with cloud delivery

Geography

Global

Customer

Property & casualty insurers (global carriers to regional/local providers)

Role

Vertical enterprise application vendor / cloud platform operator

Revenue share

81.8%

Side-by-side metrics

Ecolab Inc.
Guidewire Software, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ECL - New York Stock Exchange
GWRE - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$77B
$15.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
44.3%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
17.3%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
12.5%
n/a
Sector
Materials
Technology
Industry
Chemicals - Specialty
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Global Industrial
Core P&C insurance platform software (InsuranceSuite, InsuranceNow, Guidewire Cloud Platform)
Market structure
Oligopoly
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, Legal
Demand, Network, Legal, Supply
Last update
2026-01-01
2026-01-11

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Compliance AdvantageLong Term Contracts

Ecolab Inc. strengths

Service Field NetworkData Workflow LockinInstalled Base ConsumablesTraining Org Change CostsBrand Trust

Guidewire Software, Inc. strengths

Switching Costs GeneralEcosystem ComplementsSuite BundlingCapex Knowhow ScaleDesign In Qualification

Segment mix

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%

Guidewire Software, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Core P&C insurance platform software (InsuranceSuite, InsuranceNow, Guidewire Cloud Platform)

Oligopoly

81.8%

Professional services (implementation, cloud migration, integration)

Competitive

18.2%

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.