VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★
NO ADVICE
Sunday, January 11, 2026
Stock Comparison
Graco Inc. vs Waters Corporation
Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.
Graco Inc.
GGG · New York Stock Exchange
Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.
Waters 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: Graco Inc. leads (67 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Waters Corporation).
- Segment focus: Graco Inc. has 3 segments (49.4% in Contractor); Waters Corporation has 4 segments (34.9% in Waters instrument systems).
- Moat breadth: Graco Inc. has 7 moat types across 2 domains; Waters Corporation has 7 across 2.
Primary market context
Graco Inc.
Contractor
Professional and prosumer paint/coatings application equipment (airless sprayers, texture sprayers, line stripers, plural-component proportioners)
Global
Professional contractors and trades; DIY consumers via retail channels
Equipment OEM / brand owner
49.4%
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
Graco Inc. strengths
Waters Corporation strengths
Segment mix
Graco Inc. segments
Full profile >Contractor
Oligopoly
Industrial
Oligopoly
Expansion Markets
Competitive
Waters Corporation segments
Full profile >Waters instrument systems
Oligopoly
Chemistry consumables
Competitive
Waters service & software maintenance
Competitive
TA instrument systems & service
Oligopoly
Want the full wide moat stocks list?
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View the moat stocks listLooking for expansion-stage stocks?
Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.
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.