VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

GSK plc vs Waters Corporation

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

GSK plc

GSK · London Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$75.9B
Gross margin (TTM)72.4%
Operating margin (TTM)23.5%
Net margin (TTM)17.1%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryDrug Manufacturers - General
CountryGB
Data as of2025-12-28
Moat score
62/ 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 GSK plc's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View GSK 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: Waters Corporation leads (66 / 100 vs 62 / 100 for GSK plc).
  • Segment focus: GSK plc has 3 segments (37.6% in Specialty Medicines); Waters Corporation has 4 segments (34.9% in Waters instrument systems).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: GSK plc has 4 moat types across 3 domains; Waters Corporation has 7 across 2.

Primary market context

GSK plc

Specialty Medicines

Market

Branded specialty pharmaceuticals (HIV, oncology, immunology/respiratory)

Geography

Global

Customer

Hospitals, specialist physicians, payers

Role

Innovator & branded manufacturer

Revenue share

37.6%

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

GSK plc
Waters Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
GSK - London Stock Exchange
WAT - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$75.9B
$23.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
72.4%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
23.5%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
17.1%
n/a
Sector
Healthcare
Healthcare
Industry
Drug Manufacturers - General
n/a
HQ country
GB
US
Primary segment
Specialty Medicines
Waters instrument systems
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Moderate
Moat score
62 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Legal, Demand
Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-28
2026-01-09

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

GSK plc strengths

Capex Knowhow ScaleCompliance AdvantageIP Choke PointSwitching Costs General

Waters Corporation strengths

Data Workflow LockinDesign In QualificationBrand TrustInstalled Base ConsumablesSupply Chain ControlLong Term ContractsService Field Network

Segment mix

GSK plc segments

Full profile >

Vaccines

Oligopoly

29.1%

Specialty Medicines

Oligopoly

37.6%

General Medicines

Competitive

33.2%

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?

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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.