VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

Merck & Co., Inc. vs Rockwell Automation, Inc.

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

Rockwell Automation, Inc.

ROK · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$44.3B
SectorIndustrials
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
Moat score
65/ 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 Rockwell Automation, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ROK analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Merck & Co., Inc. leads (71 / 100 vs 65 / 100 for Rockwell Automation, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Merck & Co., Inc. has 2 segments (89.5% in Pharmaceutical); Rockwell Automation, Inc. has 3 segments (45% in Intelligent Devices).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Merck & Co., Inc. has 5 moat types across 3 domains; Rockwell Automation, Inc. has 8 across 3.

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%

Rockwell Automation, Inc.

Intelligent Devices

Market

Industrial automation hardware (drives, motion, safety/sensing, industrial components, micro PLCs & distributed I/O)

Geography

Global

Customer

Industrial OEMs/machine builders and end-user manufacturers (often via distributors)

Role

Automation equipment supplier (hardware OEM)

Revenue share

45%

Side-by-side metrics

Merck & Co., Inc.
Rockwell Automation, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
MRK - New York Stock Exchange
ROK - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$250.9B
$44.3B
Sector
Healthcare
Industrials
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Pharmaceutical
Intelligent Devices
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
71 / 100
65 / 100
Moat domains
Legal, Supply, Demand
Demand, Network, Supply
Last update
2025-12-22
2025-12-31

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow Lockin

Merck & Co., Inc. strengths

IP Choke PointRegulated Standards PipeCapex Knowhow ScaleScope Economies

Rockwell Automation, Inc. strengths

Switching Costs GeneralBrand TrustEcosystem ComplementsSuite BundlingTraining Org Change CostsService Field NetworkProcurement Inertia

Segment mix

Merck & Co., Inc. segments

Full profile >

Pharmaceutical

Competitive

89.5%

Animal Health

Oligopoly

9.2%

Rockwell Automation, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Intelligent Devices

Oligopoly

45%

Software & Control

Oligopoly

28.6%

Lifecycle Services

Competitive

26.4%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

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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.