VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 3, 2026

Stock Comparison

W.W. Grainger, Inc. vs Xero Limited

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

Market cap (USD)$48.1B
Gross margin (TTM)39.1%
Operating margin (TTM)14.1%
Net margin (TTM)9.8%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryIndustrial - Distribution
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-01
Moat score
65/ 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 W.W. Grainger, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View GWW analysis

Xero Limited

XRO · Australian Securities Exchange

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorTechnology
Industry
CountryNZ
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
71/ 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 Xero Limited's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View XRO analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Xero Limited leads (71 / 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.); Xero Limited has 2 segments.
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: W.W. Grainger, Inc. has 5 moat types across 2 domains; Xero Limited has 7 across 3.

Primary market context

W.W. Grainger, Inc.

High-Touch Solutions N.A.

Market

MRO (maintenance, repair and operations) products distribution and value-added inventory/procurement solutions

Geography

North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico)

Customer

Mid-size and large businesses with complex purchasing operations; also government and institutions

Role

Distributor / wholesaler + onsite inventory services

Revenue share

79.9%

Xero Limited

Core Accounting Subscription Platform

Market

Cloud accounting software for small businesses and their advisors

Geography

Global

Customer

SMB; accountants & bookkeepers

Role

Software platform (SaaS)

Side-by-side metrics

W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Xero Limited
Ticker / Exchange
GWW - New York Stock Exchange
XRO - Australian Securities Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$48.1B
n/a
Gross margin (TTM)
39.1%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
14.1%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
9.8%
n/a
Sector
Industrials
Technology
Industry
Industrial - Distribution
n/a
HQ country
US
NZ
Primary segment
High-Touch Solutions N.A.
Core Accounting Subscription Platform
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
65 / 100
71 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Demand, Network, Financial
Last update
2026-01-01
2026-01-02

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow Lockin

W.W. Grainger, Inc. strengths

Service Field NetworkScale Economies Unit CostScope EconomiesOperational Excellence

Xero Limited strengths

Switching Costs GeneralTwo Sided NetworkBenchmark Pricing PowerInteroperability HubEcosystem ComplementsSuite Bundling

Segment mix

W.W. Grainger, Inc. segments

Full profile >

High-Touch Solutions N.A.

Competitive

79.9%

Endless Assortment

Competitive

18.3%

Other (Cromwell U.K. + captive insurance)

Competitive

1.8%

Xero Limited segments

Full profile >

Core Accounting Subscription Platform

Oligopoly

n/a

Platform Services (Payments, Payroll, App Ecosystem)

Competitive

n/a

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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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.