VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Stock Comparison

EssilorLuxottica vs UnitedHealth Group Incorporated

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

EssilorLuxottica

EL · Euronext Paris

Market cap (USD)$110.3B
Gross margin (TTM)61.5%
Operating margin (TTM)12.4%
Net margin (TTM)8.5%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryMedical - Instruments & Supplies
CountryFR
Data as of2026-01-11
Moat score
69/ 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 EssilorLuxottica's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View EL analysis

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated

UNH · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$262.7B
Gross margin (TTM)18.5%
Operating margin (TTM)4.2%
Net margin (TTM)2.7%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryMedical - Healthcare Plans
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
Moat score
64/ 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 UnitedHealth Group Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View UNH analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: EssilorLuxottica leads (69 / 100 vs 64 / 100 for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated).
  • Segment focus: EssilorLuxottica has 2 segments (52.7% in Direct to Consumer); UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has 4 segments (74.9% in UnitedHealthcare).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Weak.
  • Moat breadth: EssilorLuxottica has 5 moat types across 3 domains; UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has 5 across 2.

Primary market context

EssilorLuxottica

Direct to Consumer

Market

Optical retail and e-commerce (prescription eyewear and sunglasses)

Geography

Global

Customer

Consumers (end-users)

Role

Omnichannel retailer + vertically integrated manufacturer/brand owner

Revenue share

52.7%

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated

UnitedHealthcare

Market

U.S. health benefits / managed care (commercial, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid managed care)

Geography

United States (primarily)

Customer

Employers, individuals, and government-sponsored programs

Role

Health insurer / managed care organization

Revenue share

74.9%

Side-by-side metrics

EssilorLuxottica
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
EL - Euronext Paris
UNH - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$110.3B
$262.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
61.5%
18.5%
Operating margin (TTM)
12.4%
4.2%
Net margin (TTM)
8.5%
2.7%
Sector
Healthcare
Healthcare
Industry
Medical - Instruments & Supplies
Medical - Healthcare Plans
HQ country
FR
US
Primary segment
Direct to Consumer
UnitedHealthcare
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Weak
Moat score
69 / 100
64 / 100
Moat domains
Legal, Supply, Demand
Supply, Demand
Last update
2026-01-11
2025-12-31

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Scale Economies Unit Cost

EssilorLuxottica strengths

IP Choke PointDistribution ControlBrand TrustContractual Exclusivity

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated strengths

Suite BundlingOperational ExcellenceData Workflow LockinTraining Org Change Costs

Segment mix

EssilorLuxottica segments

Full profile >

Professional Solutions

Oligopoly

47.3%

Direct to Consumer

Competitive

52.7%

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated segments

Full profile >

UnitedHealthcare

Oligopoly

74.9%

Optum Health

Competitive

9.9%

Optum Insight

Competitive

1.7%

Optum Rx

Oligopoly

13.5%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

View the moat stocks list

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.