VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★
NO ADVICE
Thursday, January 1, 2026
Stock Comparison
W.W. Grainger, Inc. vs Microsoft Corporation
Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.
W.W. Grainger, Inc.
GWW · New York Stock Exchange
Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.
Full stock profile
Dive deeper into W.W. Grainger, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.
View GWW analysisMicrosoft Corporation
MSFT · Nasdaq Global Select Market
Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.
Full stock profile
Dive deeper into Microsoft Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.
View MSFT analysisComparison highlights
- Moat score gap: Microsoft Corporation leads (84 / 100 vs 65 / 100 for W.W. Grainger, Inc.).
- Segment focus: W.W. Grainger, Inc. has 3 segments (79.9% in High-Touch Solutions N.A.); Microsoft Corporation has 3 segments (42.9% in Productivity and Business Processes).
- Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
- Moat breadth: W.W. Grainger, Inc. has 5 moat types across 2 domains; Microsoft Corporation has 9 across 4.
Primary market context
W.W. Grainger, Inc.
High-Touch Solutions N.A.
MRO (maintenance, repair and operations) products distribution and value-added inventory/procurement solutions
North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico)
Mid-size and large businesses with complex purchasing operations; also government and institutions
Distributor / wholesaler + onsite inventory services
79.9%
Microsoft Corporation
Productivity and Business Processes
Enterprise productivity & collaboration suites, business applications, and professional network platforms
Global
Enterprises, SMBs, consumers, recruiters/advertisers
SaaS platform + professional network
42.9%
Side-by-side metrics
Moat coverage
Shared moat types
W.W. Grainger, Inc. strengths
Microsoft Corporation strengths
Segment mix
W.W. Grainger, Inc. segments
Full profile >High-Touch Solutions N.A.
Competitive
Endless Assortment
Competitive
Other (Cromwell U.K. + captive insurance)
Competitive
Microsoft Corporation segments
Full profile >Productivity and Business Processes
Oligopoly
Intelligent Cloud
Oligopoly
More Personal Computing
Quasi-Monopoly
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 listCuration & 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.