VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. vs The Charles Schwab Corporation

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

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

ISRG · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)
SectorHealthcare
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
83/ 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 Intuitive Surgical, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ISRG analysis

The Charles Schwab Corporation

SCHW · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)
SectorFinancials
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-26
Moat score
74/ 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 The Charles Schwab Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View SCHW analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Intuitive Surgical, Inc. leads (83 / 100 vs 74 / 100 for The Charles Schwab Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Intuitive Surgical, Inc. has 3 segments (60.8% in Instruments and Accessories); The Charles Schwab Corporation has 2 segments (79.4% in Investor Services).
  • Primary market structure: Monopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Weak.
  • Moat breadth: Intuitive Surgical, Inc. has 9 moat types across 4 domains; The Charles Schwab Corporation has 7 across 4.

Primary market context

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

Instruments and Accessories

Market

Proprietary robotic surgery instruments, accessories, and consumables used per procedure on the da Vinci (and Ion) installed base

Geography

Global

Customer

Hospitals and surgery centers purchasing consumables; surgeons and OR teams as end users

Role

Consumables OEM within proprietary platform

Revenue share

60.8%

The Charles Schwab Corporation

Investor Services

Market

U.S. retail brokerage, self-directed investing, and wealth management platforms

Geography

United States

Customer

Retail investors, employers, retirement plan sponsors

Role

Broker-dealer + bank + wealth manager platform

Revenue share

79.4%

Side-by-side metrics

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
The Charles Schwab Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
ISRG - NASDAQ
SCHW - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
n/a
n/a
Sector
Healthcare
Financials
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Instruments and Accessories
Investor Services
Market structure
Monopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Weak
Moat score
83 / 100
74 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Network, Legal
Supply, Demand, Financial, Network
Last update
2025-12-30
2025-12-26

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Ecosystem ComplementsService Field NetworkData Workflow Lockin

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. strengths

Capex Knowhow ScaleTraining Org Change CostsProcurement InertiaInstalled Base ConsumablesIP Choke PointLong Term Contracts

The Charles Schwab Corporation strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostSuite BundlingBrand TrustFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Systems

Quasi-Monopoly

23.5%

Instruments and Accessories

Monopoly

60.8%

Services

Monopoly

15.6%

The Charles Schwab Corporation segments

Full profile >

Investor Services

Oligopoly

79.4%

Advisor Services

Oligopoly

20.6%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.