VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. vs Waters Corporation

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

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.

IFF · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$17.7B
Gross margin (TTM)36.4%
Operating margin (TTM)-3.2%
Net margin (TTM)-3.7%
SectorMaterials
IndustryChemicals - Specialty
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-29
Moat score
59/ 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 International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View IFF 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 59 / 100 for International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.).
  • Segment focus: International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. has 4 segments (31.2% in Food Ingredients); Waters Corporation has 4 segments (34.9% in Waters instrument systems).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Weak vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Waters Corporation has 7 across 2.

Primary market context

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.

Food Ingredients

Market

Specialty food ingredients (texturizers, food protection, plant proteins, emulsifiers, sweeteners)

Geography

Global

Customer

B2B (food manufacturers)

Role

Ingredient supplier

Revenue share

31.2%

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

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.
Waters Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
IFF - New York Stock Exchange
WAT - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$17.7B
$23.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
36.4%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
-3.2%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
-3.7%
n/a
Sector
Materials
Healthcare
Industry
Chemicals - Specialty
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Food Ingredients
Waters instrument systems
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Weak
Moderate
Moat score
59 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Legal, Supply
Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-29
2026-01-09

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Design In QualificationService Field NetworkSupply Chain Control

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. strengths

IP Choke PointCompliance AdvantageSwitching Costs GeneralCapex Knowhow ScaleScale Economies Unit Cost

Waters Corporation strengths

Data Workflow LockinBrand TrustInstalled Base ConsumablesLong Term Contracts

Segment mix

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. segments

Full profile >

Taste

Oligopoly

23.9%

Food Ingredients

Competitive

31.2%

Health & Biosciences

Oligopoly

21.4%

Scent

Oligopoly

23.6%

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.