VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Alphabet Inc. vs Lowe's Companies, Inc.

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

Alphabet Inc.

GOOGL · The Nasdaq Stock Market

Market cap (USD)$4T
Gross margin (TTM)59.2%
Operating margin (TTM)32.2%
Net margin (TTM)32.2%
SectorCommunication Services
IndustryInternet Content & Information
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-21
Moat score
86/ 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 Alphabet Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View GOOGL analysis

Lowe's Companies, Inc.

LOW · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$149.9B
Gross margin (TTM)31.4%
Operating margin (TTM)12.1%
Net margin (TTM)8.1%
SectorConsumer
IndustryHome Improvement
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
48/ 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 Lowe's Companies, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View LOW analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Alphabet Inc. leads (86 / 100 vs 48 / 100 for Lowe's Companies, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Alphabet Inc. has 6 segments (56.6% in Google Search & other (Advertising)); Lowe's Companies, Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Home Improvement Operations (Omnichannel)).
  • Primary market structure: Quasi-Monopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Strong vs Weak.
  • Moat breadth: Alphabet Inc. has 10 moat types across 4 domains; Lowe's Companies, Inc. has 5 across 2.

Primary market context

Alphabet Inc.

Google Search & other (Advertising)

Market

Search advertising (intent-based digital ads)

Geography

Global

Customer

Advertisers (SMB to enterprise)

Role

Ad platform / publisher

Revenue share

56.6%

Lowe's Companies, Inc.

Home Improvement Operations (Omnichannel)

Market

U.S. home improvement retail and related services (DIY and Pro; omnichannel)

Geography

United States

Customer

DIY consumers and small-to-medium professional contractors

Role

Omnichannel retailer and distributor

Revenue share

100%

Side-by-side metrics

Alphabet Inc.
Lowe's Companies, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
GOOGL - The Nasdaq Stock Market
LOW - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$4T
$149.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
59.2%
31.4%
Operating margin (TTM)
32.2%
12.1%
Net margin (TTM)
32.2%
8.1%
Sector
Communication Services
Consumer
Industry
Internet Content & Information
Home Improvement
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Google Search & other (Advertising)
Home Improvement Operations (Omnichannel)
Market structure
Quasi-Monopoly
Competitive
Market share
88%-91% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
8,115
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Weak
Moat score
86 / 100
48 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand, Legal, Supply
Supply, Demand
Last update
2025-12-21
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Habit DefaultOperational Excellence

Alphabet Inc. strengths

Data Network EffectsTwo Sided NetworkContent Rights CurrencyDefault OS GatewaySwitching Costs GeneralCapex Knowhow ScaleEcosystem ComplementsIncubation & patient capital

Lowe's Companies, Inc. strengths

Physical Network DensitySupply Chain ControlScope Economies

Segment mix

Alphabet Inc. segments

Full profile >

Google Search & other (Advertising)

Quasi-Monopoly

56.6%

YouTube (Advertising)

Oligopoly

10.3%

Google Network (Advertising)

Competitive

8.7%

Google Subscriptions, Platforms & Devices

Quasi-Monopoly

11.5%

Google Cloud

Oligopoly

12.4%

Other Bets

Competitive

0.5%

Lowe's Companies, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Home Improvement Operations (Omnichannel)

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.