VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★
NO ADVICE
Saturday, January 10, 2026
Stock Comparison
Intuitive Surgical, Inc. vs Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
ISRG · NASDAQ
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 analysisVertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
VRTX · NASDAQ
Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.
Full stock profile
Dive deeper into Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.
View VRTX analysisComparison highlights
- Moat score gap: Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated leads (99 / 100 vs 83 / 100 for Intuitive Surgical, Inc.).
- Segment focus: Intuitive Surgical, Inc. has 3 segments (60.8% in Instruments and Accessories); Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has 3 segments (99.9% in Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators).
- Primary market structure: Monopoly vs Quasi-Monopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Strong.
- Moat breadth: Intuitive Surgical, Inc. has 9 moat types across 4 domains; Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has 7 across 4.
Primary market context
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
Instruments and Accessories
Proprietary robotic surgery instruments, accessories, and consumables used per procedure on the da Vinci (and Ion) installed base
Global
Hospitals and surgery centers purchasing consumables; surgeons and OR teams as end users
Consumables OEM within proprietary platform
60.8%
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators
CFTR modulator therapies for cystic fibrosis
U.S., Europe, Australia, Canada
Patients (via specialty pharmacies/payers); CF care centers
Drug developer/manufacturer
99.9%
Side-by-side metrics
Moat coverage
Shared moat types
Intuitive Surgical, Inc. strengths
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated strengths
Segment mix
Intuitive Surgical, Inc. segments
Full profile >Systems
Quasi-Monopoly
Instruments and Accessories
Monopoly
Services
Monopoly
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated segments
Full profile >Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators
Quasi-Monopoly
Hemoglobinopathies Gene Therapy (CASGEVY)
Oligopoly
Acute Pain (JOURNAVX)
Competitive
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Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.
View expansion-stage stocksCuration & 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.