VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

FactSet Research Systems Inc. vs Waters Corporation

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

FactSet Research Systems Inc.

FDS · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$11.1B
Gross margin (TTM)52.3%
Operating margin (TTM)31.7%
Net margin (TTM)25.4%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Data & Stock Exchanges
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
85/ 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 FactSet Research Systems Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View FDS analysis

Waters Corporation

WAT · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$23.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorHealthcare
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-09
Moat score
66/ 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 Waters Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View WAT analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: FactSet Research Systems Inc. leads (85 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Waters Corporation).
  • Segment focus: FactSet Research Systems Inc. has 2 segments; Waters Corporation has 4 segments (34.9% in Waters instrument systems).
  • Moat breadth: FactSet Research Systems Inc. has 6 moat types across 3 domains; Waters Corporation has 7 across 2.

Primary market context

FactSet Research Systems Inc.

Hosted Platform (Workstations & Analytics)

Market

Financial data and analytics platforms for investment professionals

Geography

Global

Customer

Institutional investors and financial institutions

Role

Software and data platform vendor

Waters Corporation

Waters instrument systems

Market

Liquid chromatography (LC/UPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS) analytical instrument systems (including LC-MS workflows and instrument control/data system software)

Geography

Global

Customer

Pharma/biotech, industrial, academic and government laboratories

Role

OEM + software/platform provider

Revenue share

34.9%

Side-by-side metrics

FactSet Research Systems Inc.
Waters Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
FDS - New York Stock Exchange
WAT - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$11.1B
$23.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
52.3%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
31.7%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
25.4%
n/a
Sector
Financials
Healthcare
Industry
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Hosted Platform (Workstations & Analytics)
Waters instrument systems
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
85 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Network, Legal
Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-09

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow Lockin

FactSet Research Systems Inc. strengths

Switching Costs GeneralSuite BundlingStandards RegistryDe Facto StandardConcession License

Waters Corporation strengths

Design In QualificationBrand TrustInstalled Base ConsumablesSupply Chain ControlLong Term ContractsService Field Network

Segment mix

FactSet Research Systems Inc. segments

Full profile >

Hosted Platform (Workstations & Analytics)

Oligopoly

n/a

Identifier Platform (CUSIP Global Services)

Quasi-Monopoly

n/a

Waters Corporation segments

Full profile >

Waters instrument systems

Oligopoly

34.9%

Chemistry consumables

Competitive

19.1%

Waters service & software maintenance

Competitive

34%

TA instrument systems & service

Oligopoly

12%

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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Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

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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.