VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Stock Comparison

Gilead Sciences, Inc. vs Watsco, Inc.

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)$146.8B
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

Watsco, Inc.

WSO · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$14.4B
Gross margin (TTM)28.3%
Operating margin (TTM)10.2%
Net margin (TTM)7.4%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryIndustrial - Distribution
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-05
Moat score
72/ 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 Watsco, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View WSO analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Gilead Sciences, Inc. leads (74 / 100 vs 72 / 100 for Watsco, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Gilead Sciences, Inc. has 5 segments (68.5% in HIV); Watsco, Inc. has 1 segment (100% in HVAC/R Distribution).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Gilead Sciences, Inc. has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Watsco, Inc. 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%

Watsco, Inc.

HVAC/R Distribution

Market

HVAC/R equipment, parts and supplies distribution

Geography

North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico; export to Latin America/Caribbean)

Customer

Licensed HVAC and refrigeration contractors (residential & commercial)

Role

Wholesale distributor

Revenue share

100%

Side-by-side metrics

Gilead Sciences, Inc.
Watsco, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
GILD - NASDAQ Global Select Market
WSO - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$146.8B
$14.4B
Gross margin (TTM)
78.7%
28.3%
Operating margin (TTM)
36.1%
10.2%
Net margin (TTM)
27.9%
7.4%
Sector
Healthcare
Industrials
Industry
Drug Manufacturers - General
Industrial - Distribution
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
HIV
HVAC/R Distribution
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
50%-60% (reported)
9%-12% (implied)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
74 / 100
72 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Legal, Supply
Supply, Legal, Demand
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-05

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Gilead Sciences, Inc. strengths

Habit DefaultSwitching Costs GeneralIP Choke PointService Field NetworkCapex Knowhow ScaleCompliance AdvantageRegulated Standards PipeBrand Trust

Watsco, Inc. strengths

Physical Network DensityContractual ExclusivityScale Economies Unit CostData Workflow Lockin

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%

Watsco, Inc. segments

Full profile >

HVAC/R Distribution

Competitive

100%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

View the moat stocks list

Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

View expansion-stage stocks

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.