VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

Fastenal Company vs United Parcel Service, Inc.

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

Fastenal Company

FAST · Nasdaq Stock Market

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorIndustrials
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-01
Moat score
60/ 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 Fastenal Company's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View FAST 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 60 / 100 for Fastenal Company).
  • Segment focus: Fastenal Company has 3 segments (54.5% in Branch-based distribution (in-market branches)); United Parcel Service, Inc. has 3 segments (66.3% in U.S. Domestic Package).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Weak vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Fastenal Company has 5 moat types across 2 domains; United Parcel Service, Inc. has 8 across 3.

Primary market context

Fastenal Company

Branch-based distribution (in-market branches)

Market

Industrial & construction supplies distribution (MRO/OEM consumables) via local branches

Geography

North America (primary) + select international

Customer

B2B

Role

Distributor / MRO supplier

Revenue share

54.5%

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

Fastenal Company
United Parcel Service, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
FAST - Nasdaq Stock Market
UPS - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
n/a
$86.5B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
18.1%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
9.3%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
6.2%
Sector
Industrials
Industrials
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Branch-based distribution (in-market branches)
U.S. Domestic Package
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
34.3% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
2,639
Pricing power
Weak
Moderate
Moat score
60 / 100
72 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Supply, Financial, Demand
Last update
2026-01-01
2025-12-22

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Physical Network DensityOperational ExcellenceData Workflow LockinScope Economies

Fastenal Company strengths

Switching Costs General

United Parcel Service, Inc. strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostBenchmark Pricing PowerBrand TrustService Field Network

Segment mix

Fastenal Company segments

Full profile >

Branch-based distribution (in-market branches)

Competitive

54.5%

Onsite solutions (embedded customer locations)

Competitive

42.4%

Other / non-traditional sales (services & custom manufacturing)

Competitive

3.1%

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?

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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.