VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★
NO ADVICE
Saturday, January 10, 2026
Stock Comparison
Lowe's Companies, Inc. vs Merck & Co., Inc.
Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.
Lowe's Companies, Inc.
LOW · New York Stock Exchange
Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.
Full stock profile
Dive deeper into Lowe's Companies, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.
View LOW analysisMerck & Co., Inc.
MRK · New York Stock Exchange
Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.
Full stock profile
Dive deeper into Merck & Co., Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.
View MRK analysisComparison highlights
- Moat score gap: Merck & Co., Inc. leads (71 / 100 vs 48 / 100 for Lowe's Companies, Inc.).
- Segment focus: Lowe's Companies, Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Home Improvement Operations (Omnichannel)); Merck & Co., Inc. has 2 segments (89.5% in Pharmaceutical).
- Primary market structure: Competitive vs Competitive. Pricing power: Weak vs Moderate.
- Moat breadth: Lowe's Companies, Inc. has 5 moat types across 2 domains; Merck & Co., Inc. has 5 across 3.
Primary market context
Lowe's Companies, Inc.
Home Improvement Operations (Omnichannel)
U.S. home improvement retail and related services (DIY and Pro; omnichannel)
United States
DIY consumers and small-to-medium professional contractors
Omnichannel retailer and distributor
100%
Merck & Co., Inc.
Pharmaceutical
Branded prescription pharmaceuticals & human vaccines
Global
Wholesalers/retailers, managed care and government payers, hospitals/clinics
R&D-intensive innovator, manufacturer, and marketer
89.5%
Side-by-side metrics
Moat coverage
Shared moat types
Lowe's Companies, Inc. strengths
Merck & Co., Inc. strengths
Segment mix
Lowe's Companies, Inc. segments
Full profile >Home Improvement Operations (Omnichannel)
Competitive
Merck & Co., Inc. segments
Full profile >Pharmaceutical
Competitive
Animal Health
Oligopoly
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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.