VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

Ecolab Inc. vs U.S. Bancorp

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

U.S. Bancorp

USB · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$85.5B
Gross margin (TTM)61.1%
Operating margin (TTM)21.4%
Net margin (TTM)16.9%
SectorFinancials
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-23
Moat score
62/ 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 U.S. Bancorp's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View USB analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Ecolab Inc. leads (63 / 100 vs 62 / 100 for U.S. Bancorp).
  • Segment focus: Ecolab Inc. has 4 segments (49.5% in Global Industrial); U.S. Bancorp has 3 segments (42.8% in Wealth, Corporate, Commercial and Institutional Banking).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Ecolab Inc. has 7 moat types across 3 domains; U.S. Bancorp has 8 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%

U.S. Bancorp

Wealth, Corporate, Commercial and Institutional Banking

Market

U.S. corporate, commercial, institutional and wealth banking & advisory services

Geography

United States

Customer

Commercial, institutional, government and wealth clients

Role

Bank / financial intermediary

Revenue share

42.8%

Side-by-side metrics

Ecolab Inc.
U.S. Bancorp
Ticker / Exchange
ECL - New York Stock Exchange
USB - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
n/a
$85.5B
Gross margin (TTM)
44.3%
61.1%
Operating margin (TTM)
17.3%
21.4%
Net margin (TTM)
12.5%
16.9%
Sector
Materials
Financials
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Global Industrial
Wealth, Corporate, Commercial and Institutional Banking
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
63 / 100
62 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Legal
Demand, Supply, Legal, Financial
Last update
2026-01-01
2025-12-23

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow LockinCompliance Advantage

Ecolab Inc. strengths

Service Field NetworkInstalled Base ConsumablesLong Term ContractsTraining Org Change CostsBrand Trust

U.S. Bancorp strengths

Scope EconomiesPhysical Network DensityHabit DefaultCost Of Capital AdvantageScale Economies Unit CostSuite Bundling

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%

U.S. Bancorp segments

Full profile >

Wealth, Corporate, Commercial and Institutional Banking

Competitive

42.8%

Consumer and Business Banking

Oligopoly

32.5%

Payment Services

Oligopoly

24.7%

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.