VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. vs Vulcan Materials Company

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

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

ISRG · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$199.5B
Gross margin (TTM)66.4%
Operating margin (TTM)29.3%
Net margin (TTM)28.6%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryMedical - Instruments & Supplies
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

Vulcan Materials Company

VMC · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$38.3B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorMaterials
IndustryConstruction Materials
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-01
Moat score
73/ 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 Vulcan Materials Company's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View VMC analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Intuitive Surgical, Inc. leads (83 / 100 vs 73 / 100 for Vulcan Materials Company).
  • Segment focus: Intuitive Surgical, Inc. has 3 segments (60.8% in Instruments and Accessories); Vulcan Materials Company has 3 segments (74.4% in Aggregates).
  • Primary market structure: Monopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Intuitive Surgical, Inc. has 9 moat types across 4 domains; Vulcan Materials Company has 5 across 2.

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%

Vulcan Materials Company

Aggregates

Market

Construction aggregates (crushed stone, sand & gravel)

Geography

United States (local/regional markets)

Customer

Construction contractors and public infrastructure agencies

Role

Upstream raw materials producer

Revenue share

74.4%

Side-by-side metrics

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
Vulcan Materials Company
Ticker / Exchange
ISRG - NASDAQ
VMC - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$199.5B
$38.3B
Gross margin (TTM)
66.4%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
29.3%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
28.6%
n/a
Sector
Healthcare
Materials
Industry
Medical - Instruments & Supplies
Construction Materials
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Instruments and Accessories
Aggregates
Market structure
Monopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
8%-11% (implied)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Strong
Moat score
83 / 100
73 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Network, Legal
Legal, Supply
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-01

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. strengths

Capex Knowhow ScaleTraining Org Change CostsEcosystem ComplementsProcurement InertiaInstalled Base ConsumablesIP Choke PointService Field NetworkData Workflow LockinLong Term Contracts

Vulcan Materials Company strengths

Permits Rights Of WayGeographic NaturalPhysical Network DensityScale Economies Unit CostSupply Chain Control

Segment mix

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Systems

Quasi-Monopoly

23.5%

Instruments and Accessories

Monopoly

60.8%

Services

Monopoly

15.6%

Vulcan Materials Company segments

Full profile >

Aggregates

Oligopoly

74.4%

Asphalt

Competitive

16.8%

Concrete

Competitive

8.8%

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

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.