VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★
NO ADVICE
Saturday, January 10, 2026
Stock Comparison
Fastenal Company vs Waters Corporation
Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.
Fastenal Company
FAST · NASDAQ
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 analysisWaters Corporation
WAT · New York Stock Exchange
Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.
Full stock profile
Dive deeper into Waters Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.
View WAT analysisComparison highlights
- Moat score gap: Waters Corporation leads (66 / 100 vs 57 / 100 for Fastenal Company).
- Segment focus: Fastenal Company has 2 segments (55.7% in Core industrial & construction supplies distribution (branches, Onsite, eBusiness excl. FMI)); Waters Corporation has 4 segments (34.9% in Waters instrument systems).
- Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Weak vs Moderate.
- Moat breadth: Fastenal Company has 4 moat types across 2 domains; Waters Corporation has 7 across 2.
Primary market context
Fastenal Company
Core industrial & construction supplies distribution (branches, Onsite, eBusiness excl. FMI)
Wholesale distribution of industrial and construction supplies (fasteners, safety, tools, and other MRO/OEM consumables)
Primarily North America (with growing international presence)
Manufacturing (OEM and MRO), non-residential construction, and other commercial customers
Distributor
55.7%
Waters Corporation
Waters instrument systems
Liquid chromatography (LC/UPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS) analytical instrument systems (including LC-MS workflows and instrument control/data system software)
Global
Pharma/biotech, industrial, academic and government laboratories
OEM + software/platform provider
34.9%
Side-by-side metrics
Moat coverage
Shared moat types
Fastenal Company strengths
Waters Corporation strengths
Segment mix
Fastenal Company segments
Full profile >Fastenal Managed Inventory (FMI)
Competitive
Core industrial & construction supplies distribution (branches, Onsite, eBusiness excl. FMI)
Competitive
Waters Corporation segments
Full profile >Waters instrument systems
Oligopoly
Chemistry consumables
Competitive
Waters service & software maintenance
Competitive
TA instrument systems & service
Oligopoly
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View expansion-stage stocksCuration & 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.