VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Gilead Sciences, Inc. vs Waters 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)$150.2B
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

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: Gilead Sciences, Inc. leads (74 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Waters Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Gilead Sciences, Inc. has 5 segments (68.5% in HIV); Waters Corporation has 4 segments (34.9% in Waters instrument systems).
  • Moat breadth: Gilead Sciences, Inc. has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Waters Corporation has 7 across 2.

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%

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

Gilead Sciences, Inc.
Waters Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
GILD - NASDAQ Global Select Market
WAT - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$150.2B
$23.7B
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
US
Primary segment
HIV
Waters instrument systems
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
66 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Legal, Supply
Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-09

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Service Field NetworkBrand Trust

Gilead Sciences, Inc. strengths

Habit DefaultSwitching Costs GeneralIP Choke PointCapex Knowhow ScaleCompliance AdvantageRegulated Standards Pipe

Waters Corporation strengths

Data Workflow LockinDesign In QualificationInstalled Base ConsumablesSupply Chain ControlLong Term Contracts

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%

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.