VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Heineken N.V. vs Waters Corporation

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

Heineken N.V.

HEIA · Euronext Amsterdam

Market cap (USD)$39.2B
Gross margin (TTM)21%
Operating margin (TTM)10.8%
Net margin (TTM)4.7%
SectorConsumer
IndustryBeverages - Alcoholic
CountryNL
Data as of2025-12-28
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 Heineken N.V.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View HEIA 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 65 / 100 for Heineken N.V.).
  • Segment focus: Heineken N.V. has 4 segments (38.7% in Europe); Waters Corporation has 4 segments (34.9% in Waters instrument systems).
  • Moat breadth: Heineken N.V. has 5 moat types across 2 domains; Waters Corporation has 7 across 2.

Primary market context

Heineken N.V.

Europe

Market

Beer, cider and beyond-beer alcoholic beverages

Geography

Europe

Customer

Consumers via on-trade (bars/restaurants) and off-trade (retail/wholesale)

Role

Brewer / brand owner / route-to-market operator

Revenue share

38.7%

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

Heineken N.V.
Waters Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
HEIA - Euronext Amsterdam
WAT - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$39.2B
$23.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
21%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
10.8%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
4.7%
n/a
Sector
Consumer
Healthcare
Industry
Beverages - Alcoholic
n/a
HQ country
NL
US
Primary segment
Europe
Waters instrument systems
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
65 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply
Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-28
2026-01-09

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustData Workflow Lockin

Heineken N.V. strengths

Distribution ControlScale Economies Unit CostOperational Excellence

Waters Corporation strengths

Design In QualificationInstalled Base ConsumablesSupply Chain ControlLong Term ContractsService Field Network

Segment mix

Heineken N.V. segments

Full profile >

Europe

Oligopoly

38.7%

Americas

Oligopoly

34%

Africa & Middle East

Oligopoly

13.5%

Asia Pacific

Oligopoly

13.8%

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?

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.