VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

Gilead Sciences, Inc. vs Norfolk Southern Corporation

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

Norfolk Southern Corporation

NSC · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$65B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorIndustrials
IndustryRailroads
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
70/ 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 Norfolk Southern Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View NSC analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Gilead Sciences, Inc. leads (74 / 100 vs 70 / 100 for Norfolk Southern Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Gilead Sciences, Inc. has 5 segments (68.5% in HIV); Norfolk Southern Corporation has 3 segments (62% in Merchandise).
  • Moat breadth: Gilead Sciences, Inc. has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Norfolk Southern Corporation 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%

Norfolk Southern Corporation

Merchandise

Market

Eastern U.S. freight rail transportation for industrial & consumer goods

Geography

United States (Southeast/East/Midwest; NS network + interchanges)

Customer

Manufacturers, producers, and distributors

Role

Rail carrier

Revenue share

62%

Side-by-side metrics

Gilead Sciences, Inc.
Norfolk Southern Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
GILD - NASDAQ Global Select Market
NSC - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$150.9B
$65B
Gross margin (TTM)
78.7%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
36.1%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
27.9%
n/a
Sector
Healthcare
Industrials
Industry
Drug Manufacturers - General
Railroads
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
HIV
Merchandise
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
50%-60% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
74 / 100
70 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Legal, Supply
Supply, Legal, Demand
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-02

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Switching Costs General

Gilead Sciences, Inc. strengths

Habit DefaultIP Choke PointService Field NetworkCapex Knowhow ScaleCompliance AdvantageRegulated Standards PipeBrand Trust

Norfolk Southern Corporation strengths

Physical Network DensityPermits Rights Of WayScale Economies Unit Cost

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%

Norfolk Southern Corporation segments

Full profile >

Merchandise

Oligopoly

62%

Intermodal

Oligopoly

25%

Coal

Oligopoly

13%

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.