VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Guidewire Software, Inc. vs Illinois Tool Works Inc.

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

Guidewire Software, Inc.

GWRE · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$15.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorTechnology
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-11
Moat score
63/ 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 Guidewire Software, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View GWRE analysis

Illinois Tool Works Inc.

ITW · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$74.7B
Gross margin (TTM)43.6%
Operating margin (TTM)26.2%
Net margin (TTM)19.1%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryIndustrial - Machinery
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
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 Illinois Tool Works Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ITW analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Illinois Tool Works Inc. leads (66 / 100 vs 63 / 100 for Guidewire Software, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Guidewire Software, Inc. has 2 segments (81.8% in Core P&C insurance platform software (InsuranceSuite, InsuranceNow, Guidewire Cloud Platform)); Illinois Tool Works Inc. has 7 segments (20% in Automotive OEM).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Guidewire Software, Inc. has 7 moat types across 4 domains; Illinois Tool Works Inc. has 8 across 3.

Primary market context

Guidewire Software, Inc.

Core P&C insurance platform software (InsuranceSuite, InsuranceNow, Guidewire Cloud Platform)

Market

Property & casualty insurance core systems platforms (policy administration, claims, billing) with cloud delivery

Geography

Global

Customer

Property & casualty insurers (global carriers to regional/local providers)

Role

Vertical enterprise application vendor / cloud platform operator

Revenue share

81.8%

Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Automotive OEM

Market

Automotive OEM engineered components and fasteners

Geography

Global

Customer

Automotive OEMs and Tier suppliers

Role

Component supplier

Revenue share

20%

Side-by-side metrics

Guidewire Software, Inc.
Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
GWRE - New York Stock Exchange
ITW - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$15.7B
$74.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
43.6%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
26.2%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
19.1%
Sector
Technology
Industrials
Industry
n/a
Industrial - Machinery
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Core P&C insurance platform software (InsuranceSuite, InsuranceNow, Guidewire Cloud Platform)
Automotive OEM
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
63 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Network, Legal, Supply
Demand, Supply, Legal
Last update
2026-01-11
2025-12-31

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Switching Costs GeneralDesign In Qualification

Guidewire Software, Inc. strengths

Long Term ContractsEcosystem ComplementsSuite BundlingCompliance AdvantageCapex Knowhow Scale

Illinois Tool Works Inc. strengths

Operational ExcellenceBrand TrustService Field NetworkInstalled Base ConsumablesFormulation and application engineering know-howIP Choke Point

Segment mix

Guidewire Software, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Core P&C insurance platform software (InsuranceSuite, InsuranceNow, Guidewire Cloud Platform)

Oligopoly

81.8%

Professional services (implementation, cloud migration, integration)

Competitive

18.2%

Illinois Tool Works Inc. segments

Full profile >

Automotive OEM

Competitive

20%

Food Equipment

Oligopoly

16.6%

Test & Measurement and Electronics

Oligopoly

17.7%

Welding

Oligopoly

11.6%

Polymers & Fluids

Competitive

11.1%

Construction Products

Competitive

12%

Specialty Products

Oligopoly

10.9%

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.