VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

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Friday, January 2, 2026

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Stock Comparison

Ecolab Inc. vs Pfizer 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)—
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

Pfizer Inc.

PFE · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$142.1B
Gross margin (TTM)71.2%
Operating margin (TTM)27.8%
Net margin (TTM)15.6%
SectorHealthcare
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-29
Moat score
58/ 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 Pfizer Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View PFE analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Ecolab Inc. leads (63 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Pfizer Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Ecolab Inc. has 4 segments (49.5% in Global Industrial); Pfizer Inc. has 5 segments (47.4% in Primary Care).
  • Moat breadth: Ecolab Inc. has 7 moat types across 3 domains; Pfizer Inc. has 8 across 3.

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%

Pfizer Inc.

Primary Care

Market

Branded primary care medicines and vaccines (incl. cardiovascular, migraine, pneumococcal/RSV/COVID-19)

Geography

Global

Customer

Healthcare providers, payers/PBMs, pharmacies/wholesalers, and government procurement

Role

Innovator biopharma (R&D + manufacturing + commercialization)

Revenue share

47.4%

Side-by-side metrics

Ecolab Inc.
Pfizer Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ECL - New York Stock Exchange
PFE - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
n/a
$142.1B
Gross margin (TTM)
44.3%
71.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
17.3%
27.8%
Net margin (TTM)
12.5%
15.6%
Sector
Materials
Healthcare
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Global Industrial
Primary Care
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
63 / 100
58 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Legal
Legal, Demand, Supply
Last update
2026-01-01
2025-12-29

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Compliance AdvantageLong Term Contracts

Ecolab Inc. strengths

Service Field NetworkData Workflow LockinInstalled Base ConsumablesTraining Org Change CostsBrand Trust

Pfizer Inc. strengths

IP Choke PointProcurement InertiaGovernment Contracting RelationshipsCapex Knowhow ScaleOperational ExcellenceEmbedded R&D partnership platform

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%

Pfizer Inc. segments

Full profile >

Primary Care

Oligopoly

47.4%

Specialty Care

Oligopoly

26.2%

Oncology

Competitive

24.5%

Pfizer CentreOne

Competitive

1.8%

Pfizer Ignite

Competitive

0.1%

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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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.