VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. vs United Parcel Service, Inc.

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

United Parcel Service, Inc.

UPS · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$86.5B
SectorIndustrials
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-22
Moat score
72/ 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 United Parcel Service, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View UPS analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Intuitive Surgical, Inc. leads (83 / 100 vs 72 / 100 for United Parcel Service, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Intuitive Surgical, Inc. has 3 segments (60.8% in Instruments and Accessories); United Parcel Service, Inc. has 3 segments (66.3% in U.S. Domestic Package).
  • Primary market structure: Monopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Intuitive Surgical, Inc. has 9 moat types across 4 domains; United Parcel Service, Inc. has 8 across 3.

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%

United Parcel Service, Inc.

U.S. Domestic Package

Market

U.S. small parcel and time-definite package delivery

Geography

United States

Customer

B2B and B2C shippers (including e-commerce)

Role

Integrated parcel carrier (pickup, sort, linehaul, last-mile)

Revenue share

66.3%

Side-by-side metrics

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
United Parcel Service, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ISRG - NASDAQ
UPS - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
n/a
$86.5B
Sector
Healthcare
Industrials
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Instruments and Accessories
U.S. Domestic Package
Market structure
Monopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
34.3% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
2,639
Pricing power
Strong
Moderate
Moat score
83 / 100
72 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Network, Legal
Supply, Financial, Demand
Last update
2025-12-30
2025-12-22

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Service Field NetworkData Workflow Lockin

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. strengths

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

United Parcel Service, Inc. strengths

Physical Network DensityScale Economies Unit CostBenchmark Pricing PowerBrand TrustOperational ExcellenceScope Economies

Segment mix

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Systems

Quasi-Monopoly

23.5%

Instruments and Accessories

Monopoly

60.8%

Services

Monopoly

15.6%

United Parcel Service, Inc. segments

Full profile >

U.S. Domestic Package

Oligopoly

66.3%

International Package

Oligopoly

19.7%

Supply Chain Solutions

Competitive

14%

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.