VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 3, 2026

Stock Comparison

Gilead Sciences, Inc. vs Novartis AG

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

Gilead Sciences, Inc.

GILD · NASDAQ Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$150.9B
Gross margin (TTM)78.7%
Operating margin (TTM)36.1%
Net margin (TTM)27.9%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryDrug Manufacturers - General
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
74/ 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 Gilead Sciences, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View GILD analysis

Novartis AG

NOVN · SIX Swiss Exchange

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorHealthcare
Industry
CountryCH
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
65/ 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 Novartis AG's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View NOVN analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Gilead Sciences, Inc. leads (74 / 100 vs 65 / 100 for Novartis AG).
  • Segment focus: Gilead Sciences, Inc. has 5 segments (68.5% in HIV); Novartis AG has 5 segments (29.3% in Oncology).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Gilead Sciences, Inc. has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Novartis AG has 4 across 3.

Primary market context

Gilead Sciences, Inc.

HIV

Market

HIV treatment and prevention medicines (antiretroviral therapy and PrEP)

Geography

Global (U.S. and Europe are major markets)

Customer

Patients/prescribers; reimbursed by public and private payers; distributed via wholesalers and specialty pharmacies

Role

Drug developer and marketing authorization holder

Revenue share

68.5%

Novartis AG

Oncology

Market

Oncology and hematology branded medicines (including targeted therapies and radioligand therapy)

Geography

Global

Customer

Oncologists and hospitals; reimbursed by payers; hospital and specialty pharmacy channels

Role

Originator developer, manufacturer, and marketer of oncology therapies

Revenue share

29.3%

Side-by-side metrics

Gilead Sciences, Inc.
Novartis AG
Ticker / Exchange
GILD - NASDAQ Global Select Market
NOVN - SIX Swiss Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$150.9B
n/a
Gross margin (TTM)
78.7%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
36.1%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
27.9%
n/a
Sector
Healthcare
Healthcare
Industry
Drug Manufacturers - General
n/a
HQ country
US
CH
Primary segment
HIV
Oncology
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
50%-60% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
74 / 100
65 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Legal, Supply
Legal, Supply, Demand
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-02

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

IP Choke PointCapex Knowhow ScaleRegulated Standards PipeBrand Trust

Gilead Sciences, Inc. strengths

Habit DefaultSwitching Costs GeneralService Field NetworkCompliance Advantage

Novartis AG strengths

No unique moat types yet.

Segment mix

Gilead Sciences, Inc. segments

Full profile >

HIV

Oligopoly

68.5%

Oncology (Cell Therapy + Trodelvy)

Oligopoly

11.5%

Liver Disease

Oligopoly

10.6%

Veklury (Remdesivir)

Competitive

6.3%

Other Products

Competitive

3.1%

Novartis AG segments

Full profile >

Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic

Oligopoly

17%

Immunology

Oligopoly

18.5%

Neuroscience

Oligopoly

9.4%

Oncology

Oligopoly

29.3%

Established Brands

Competitive

25.8%

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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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.