VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Altria Group, Inc. vs Waters Corporation

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

Altria Group, Inc.

MO · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$96.6B
Gross margin (TTM)72%
Operating margin (TTM)55.2%
Net margin (TTM)44%
SectorConsumer
IndustryTobacco
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
88/ 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 Altria Group, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MO 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: Altria Group, Inc. leads (88 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Waters Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Altria Group, Inc. has 3 segments (88.3% in Smokeable Products); Waters Corporation has 4 segments (34.9% in Waters instrument systems).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Altria Group, Inc. has 5 moat types across 3 domains; Waters Corporation has 7 across 2.

Primary market context

Altria Group, Inc.

Smokeable Products

Market

U.S. cigarettes and machine-made cigars

Geography

United States

Customer

Wholesalers/distributors and large retail organizations (serving adult tobacco consumers 21+)

Role

Manufacturer and brand owner

Revenue share

88.3%

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

Altria Group, Inc.
Waters Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
MO - New York Stock Exchange
WAT - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$96.6B
$23.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
72%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
55.2%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
44%
n/a
Sector
Consumer
Healthcare
Industry
Tobacco
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Smokeable Products
Waters instrument systems
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
45.9% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Moderate
Moat score
88 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Financial, Legal
Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-09

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand Trust

Altria Group, Inc. strengths

Habit DefaultBenchmark Pricing PowerCompliance AdvantageRegulated Standards Pipe

Waters Corporation strengths

Data Workflow LockinDesign In QualificationInstalled Base ConsumablesSupply Chain ControlLong Term ContractsService Field Network

Segment mix

Altria Group, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Smokeable Products

Oligopoly

88.3%

Oral Tobacco Products

Oligopoly

11.6%

E-Vapor and New Products (NJOY, Horizon, R&D)

Competitive

0.2%

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?

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

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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.