VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

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Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. vs Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

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

Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.

MPWR · NASDAQ Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$45.9B
Gross margin (TTM)55.2%
Operating margin (TTM)26%
Net margin (TTM)71.2%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySemiconductors
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-25
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 Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MPWR analysis

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

VRTX · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$119B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorHealthcare
IndustryBiotechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-08
Moat score
99/ 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 Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View VRTX analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated leads (99 / 100 vs 67 / 100 for Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. has 6 segments (32.5% in Enterprise Data); Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has 3 segments (99.9% in Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Quasi-Monopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. has 4 moat types across 3 domains; Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has 7 across 4.

Primary market context

Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.

Enterprise Data

Market

Power management ICs and power modules for enterprise/data center servers (CPU/GPU/AI accelerators) and cloud/on-prem compute platforms

Geography

Global

Customer

OEMs/ODMs and cloud platform designers

Role

Fabless component supplier (power semiconductors)

Revenue share

32.5%

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators

Market

CFTR modulator therapies for cystic fibrosis

Geography

U.S., Europe, Australia, Canada

Customer

Patients (via specialty pharmacies/payers); CF care centers

Role

Drug developer/manufacturer

Revenue share

99.9%

Side-by-side metrics

Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
MPWR - NASDAQ Global Select Market
VRTX - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$45.9B
$119B
Gross margin (TTM)
55.2%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
26%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
71.2%
n/a
Sector
Technology
Healthcare
Industry
Semiconductors
Biotechnology
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Enterprise Data
Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators
Market structure
Oligopoly
Quasi-Monopoly
Market share
n/a
70%-78% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
67 / 100
99 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal
Legal, Demand, Financial, Supply
Last update
2025-12-25
2026-01-08

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

IP Choke Point

Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. strengths

Design In QualificationOperational ExcellenceBrand Trust

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated strengths

Government Contracting RelationshipsSwitching Costs GeneralBenchmark Pricing PowerRegulated Standards PipeService Field NetworkCapacity Moat

Segment mix

Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Enterprise Data

Oligopoly

32.5%

Storage and Computing

Competitive

22.7%

Automotive

Oligopoly

18.8%

Communications

Oligopoly

10.2%

Consumer

Competitive

9.1%

Industrial

Oligopoly

6.7%

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators

Quasi-Monopoly

99.9%

Hemoglobinopathies Gene Therapy (CASGEVY)

Oligopoly

0.1%

Acute Pain (JOURNAVX)

Competitive

n/a

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.