VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

Merck & Co., Inc. vs QUALCOMM Incorporated

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

Merck & Co., Inc.

MRK · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$250.9B
SectorHealthcare
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-22
Moat score
71/ 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 Merck & Co., Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MRK analysis

QUALCOMM Incorporated

QCOM · NASDAQ Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)
SectorTechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
70/ 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 QUALCOMM Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View QCOM analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Merck & Co., Inc. leads (71 / 100 vs 70 / 100 for QUALCOMM Incorporated).
  • Segment focus: Merck & Co., Inc. has 2 segments (89.5% in Pharmaceutical); QUALCOMM Incorporated has 4 segments (62.8% in Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Merck & Co., Inc. has 5 moat types across 3 domains; QUALCOMM Incorporated has 7 across 4.

Primary market context

Merck & Co., Inc.

Pharmaceutical

Market

Branded prescription pharmaceuticals & human vaccines

Geography

Global

Customer

Wholesalers/retailers, managed care and government payers, hospitals/clinics

Role

R&D-intensive innovator, manufacturer, and marketer

Revenue share

89.5%

QUALCOMM Incorporated

Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)

Market

Smartphone application processors and cellular modem/RF platforms

Geography

Global

Customer

Smartphone OEMs

Role

fabless semiconductor/platform supplier

Revenue share

62.8%

Side-by-side metrics

Merck & Co., Inc.
QUALCOMM Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
MRK - New York Stock Exchange
QCOM - NASDAQ Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$250.9B
n/a
Sector
Healthcare
Technology
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Pharmaceutical
Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
22%-26% (estimated)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
71 / 100
70 / 100
Moat domains
Legal, Supply, Demand
Supply, Network, Demand, Legal
Last update
2025-12-22
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

IP Choke PointCapex Knowhow ScaleScope Economies

Merck & Co., Inc. strengths

Regulated Standards PipeData Workflow Lockin

QUALCOMM Incorporated strengths

Keystone ComponentEcosystem ComplementsDesign In QualificationLong Term Contracts

Segment mix

Merck & Co., Inc. segments

Full profile >

Pharmaceutical

Competitive

89.5%

Animal Health

Oligopoly

9.2%

QUALCOMM Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)

Oligopoly

62.8%

Automotive silicon (connectivity, digital cockpit, ADAS/AD)

Oligopoly

8.9%

IoT silicon (consumer, industrial, edge networking)

Competitive

14.9%

Wireless technology licensing (cellular SEPs, royalties)

Oligopoly

12.6%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.