VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 3, 2026

Stock Comparison

Ecolab Inc. vs Xero Limited

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)$74.3B
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

Xero Limited

XRO · Australian Securities Exchange

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorTechnology
Industry
CountryNZ
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
71/ 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 Xero Limited's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View XRO analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Xero Limited leads (71 / 100 vs 63 / 100 for Ecolab Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Ecolab Inc. has 4 segments (49.5% in Global Industrial); Xero Limited has 2 segments.
  • Moat breadth: Ecolab Inc. has 7 moat types across 3 domains; Xero Limited has 7 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%

Xero Limited

Core Accounting Subscription Platform

Market

Cloud accounting software for small businesses and their advisors

Geography

Global

Customer

SMB; accountants & bookkeepers

Role

Software platform (SaaS)

Side-by-side metrics

Ecolab Inc.
Xero Limited
Ticker / Exchange
ECL - New York Stock Exchange
XRO - Australian Securities Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$74.3B
n/a
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
NZ
Primary segment
Global Industrial
Core Accounting Subscription 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
71 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Legal
Demand, Network, Financial
Last update
2026-01-01
2026-01-02

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow Lockin

Ecolab Inc. strengths

Service Field NetworkCompliance AdvantageInstalled Base ConsumablesLong Term ContractsTraining Org Change CostsBrand Trust

Xero Limited strengths

Switching Costs GeneralTwo Sided NetworkBenchmark Pricing PowerInteroperability HubEcosystem ComplementsSuite 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%

Xero Limited segments

Full profile >

Core Accounting Subscription Platform

Oligopoly

n/a

Platform Services (Payments, Payroll, App Ecosystem)

Competitive

n/a

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.