VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

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Friday, January 2, 2026

Wide Moat Stocks Home My Collections

Stock Comparison

Ecolab Inc. vs United Parcel Service, 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

United Parcel Service, Inc.

UPS · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$86.5B
Gross margin (TTM)18.1%
Operating margin (TTM)9.3%
Net margin (TTM)6.2%
SectorIndustrials
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-22
Moat score
72/ 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 United Parcel Service, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View UPS analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: United Parcel Service, Inc. leads (72 / 100 vs 63 / 100 for Ecolab Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Ecolab Inc. has 4 segments (49.5% in Global Industrial); United Parcel Service, Inc. has 3 segments (66.3% in U.S. Domestic Package).
  • Moat breadth: Ecolab Inc. has 7 moat types across 3 domains; United Parcel Service, 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%

United Parcel Service, Inc.

U.S. Domestic Package

Market

U.S. small parcel and time-definite package delivery

Geography

United States

Customer

B2B and B2C shippers (including e-commerce)

Role

Integrated parcel carrier (pickup, sort, linehaul, last-mile)

Revenue share

66.3%

Side-by-side metrics

Ecolab Inc.
United Parcel Service, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ECL - New York Stock Exchange
UPS - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
n/a
$86.5B
Gross margin (TTM)
44.3%
18.1%
Operating margin (TTM)
17.3%
9.3%
Net margin (TTM)
12.5%
6.2%
Sector
Materials
Industrials
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Global Industrial
U.S. Domestic Package
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
34.3% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
2,639
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
63 / 100
72 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Legal
Supply, Financial, Demand
Last update
2026-01-01
2025-12-22

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Service Field NetworkData Workflow LockinBrand Trust

Ecolab Inc. strengths

Compliance AdvantageInstalled Base ConsumablesLong Term ContractsTraining Org Change Costs

United Parcel Service, Inc. strengths

Physical Network DensityScale Economies Unit CostBenchmark Pricing PowerOperational ExcellenceScope Economies

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%

United Parcel Service, Inc. segments

Full profile >

U.S. Domestic Package

Oligopoly

66.3%

International Package

Oligopoly

19.7%

Supply Chain Solutions

Competitive

14%

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.