VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

General Dynamics Corporation vs Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

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

General Dynamics Corporation

GD · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$92.4B
SectorIndustrials
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-29
Moat score
80/ 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 General Dynamics Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View GD analysis

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

ISRG · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)
SectorHealthcare
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
83/ 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 Intuitive Surgical, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ISRG analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Intuitive Surgical, Inc. leads (83 / 100 vs 80 / 100 for General Dynamics Corporation).
  • Segment focus: General Dynamics Corporation has 4 segments (30.1% in Marine Systems (Nuclear subs + surface shipbuilding)); Intuitive Surgical, Inc. has 3 segments (60.8% in Instruments and Accessories).
  • Primary market structure: Duopoly vs Monopoly. Pricing power: Weak vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: General Dynamics Corporation has 11 moat types across 3 domains; Intuitive Surgical, Inc. has 9 across 4.

Primary market context

General Dynamics Corporation

Marine Systems (Nuclear subs + surface shipbuilding)

Market

U.S. Navy nuclear-powered submarine construction and major surface combatant shipbuilding/lifecycle services

Geography

United States

Customer

Government (primarily U.S. Navy)

Role

Prime contractor / shipbuilder / lifecycle services

Revenue share

30.1%

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

Instruments and Accessories

Market

Proprietary robotic surgery instruments, accessories, and consumables used per procedure on the da Vinci (and Ion) installed base

Geography

Global

Customer

Hospitals and surgery centers purchasing consumables; surgeons and OR teams as end users

Role

Consumables OEM within proprietary platform

Revenue share

60.8%

Side-by-side metrics

General Dynamics Corporation
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
GD - New York Stock Exchange
ISRG - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$92.4B
n/a
Sector
Industrials
Healthcare
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Marine Systems (Nuclear subs + surface shipbuilding)
Instruments and Accessories
Market structure
Duopoly
Monopoly
Market share
45%-55% (estimated)
n/a
HHI estimate
5,000
n/a
Pricing power
Weak
Strong
Moat score
80 / 100
83 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal
Supply, Demand, Network, Legal
Last update
2025-12-29
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Service Field NetworkCapex Knowhow ScaleLong Term ContractsProcurement Inertia

General Dynamics Corporation strengths

Brand TrustRegulated Standards PipeGovernment Contracting RelationshipsDesign In QualificationCapacity MoatCompliance AdvantageSuite Bundling

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. strengths

Training Org Change CostsEcosystem ComplementsInstalled Base ConsumablesIP Choke PointData Workflow Lockin

Segment mix

General Dynamics Corporation segments

Full profile >

Aerospace (Gulfstream + Jet Aviation)

Oligopoly

23.6%

Marine Systems (Nuclear subs + surface shipbuilding)

Duopoly

30.1%

Combat Systems (Land vehicles + munitions)

Oligopoly

18.9%

Technologies (C5ISR + Federal IT)

Competitive

27.5%

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Systems

Quasi-Monopoly

23.5%

Instruments and Accessories

Monopoly

60.8%

Services

Monopoly

15.6%

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.