VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Morningstar, Inc. vs Pool Corporation

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

Morningstar, Inc.

MORN · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorFinancials
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-10
Moat score
67/ 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 Morningstar, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MORN analysis

Pool Corporation

POOL · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$9.4B
Gross margin (TTM)29.6%
Operating margin (TTM)11.1%
Net margin (TTM)7.8%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryIndustrial - Distribution
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
56/ 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 Pool Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View POOL analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Morningstar, Inc. leads (67 / 100 vs 56 / 100 for Pool Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Morningstar, Inc. has 7 segments (34.6% in Morningstar Data and Analytics); Pool Corporation has 1 segment (100% in Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Weak.
  • Moat breadth: Morningstar, Inc. has 6 moat types across 3 domains; Pool Corporation has 5 across 2.

Primary market context

Morningstar, Inc.

Morningstar Data and Analytics

Market

Investment data, research, and analytics platforms

Geography

Global

Revenue share

34.6%

Pool Corporation

Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)

Market

Wholesale distribution of swimming pool, irrigation/landscape, and related outdoor living products

Geography

North America (majority), with operations in Europe and Australia

Customer

Pool builders/remodelers, pool service/repair professionals, specialty pool retailers, irrigation/landscape contractors, commercial pool operators

Role

Distributor / wholesaler

Revenue share

100%

Side-by-side metrics

Morningstar, Inc.
Pool Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
MORN - NASDAQ
POOL - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
n/a
$9.4B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
29.6%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
11.1%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
7.8%
Sector
Financials
Industrials
Industry
n/a
Industrial - Distribution
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Morningstar Data and Analytics
Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Weak
Moat score
67 / 100
56 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Network, Legal
Supply, Demand
Last update
2026-01-10
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow Lockin

Morningstar, Inc. strengths

De Facto StandardRegulated Standards PipeSuite BundlingTraining Org Change CostsIP Choke Point

Pool Corporation strengths

Physical Network DensityScale Economies Unit CostScope EconomiesProcurement Inertia

Segment mix

Morningstar, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Morningstar Data and Analytics

Oligopoly

34.6%

PitchBook

Oligopoly

27.2%

Morningstar Credit

Oligopoly

12.8%

Morningstar Wealth

Competitive

10.9%

Morningstar Retirement

Competitive

5.6%

Morningstar Sustainalytics

Oligopoly

5.2%

Morningstar Indexes

Oligopoly

3.7%

Pool Corporation segments

Full profile >

Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)

Competitive

100%

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.