VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

L3Harris Technologies, Inc. vs Waters Corporation

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

L3Harris Technologies, Inc.

LHX · NYSE

Market cap (USD)$62.9B
Gross margin (TTM)23.1%
Operating margin (TTM)10.9%
Net margin (TTM)8.1%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryAerospace & Defense
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-02
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 L3Harris Technologies, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View LHX 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: L3Harris Technologies, Inc. leads (72 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Waters Corporation).
  • Segment focus: L3Harris Technologies, Inc. has 4 segments (31.9% in Space & Airborne Systems); Waters Corporation has 4 segments (34.9% in Waters instrument systems).
  • Moat breadth: L3Harris Technologies, Inc. has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Waters Corporation has 7 across 2.

Primary market context

L3Harris Technologies, Inc.

Space & Airborne Systems

Market

Defense & intelligence space and airborne mission systems (payloads, sensors, avionics, mission networks)

Geography

Global (U.S.-centric demand)

Customer

Government defense/intelligence agencies, prime contractors, and allied governments

Role

Prime contractor / subsystem integrator

Revenue share

31.9%

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

L3Harris Technologies, Inc.
Waters Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
LHX - NYSE
WAT - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$62.9B
$23.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
23.1%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
10.9%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
8.1%
n/a
Sector
Industrials
Healthcare
Industry
Aerospace & Defense
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Space & Airborne Systems
Waters instrument systems
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
72 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Legal, Demand, Supply
Demand, Supply
Last update
2026-01-02
2026-01-09

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Design In Qualification

L3Harris Technologies, Inc. strengths

Government Contracting RelationshipsCompliance AdvantageSwitching Costs GeneralCapex Knowhow ScaleProcurement InertiaCapacity MoatKeystone Component

Waters Corporation strengths

Data Workflow LockinBrand TrustInstalled Base ConsumablesSupply Chain ControlLong Term ContractsService Field Network

Segment mix

L3Harris Technologies, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Space & Airborne Systems

Oligopoly

31.9%

Integrated Mission Systems

Oligopoly

31.8%

Communication Systems

Oligopoly

25.4%

Aerojet Rocketdyne

Duopoly

10.9%

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?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

View the moat stocks list

Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

View expansion-stage stocks

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.