VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Novo Nordisk A/S vs Waters Corporation

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

Novo Nordisk A/S

NOVOB · Nasdaq Copenhagen

Market cap (USD)$1.7T
Gross margin (TTM)82.1%
Operating margin (TTM)42%
Net margin (TTM)32.9%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryBiotechnology
CountryDK
Data as of2025-12-28
Moat score
85/ 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 Novo Nordisk A/S's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View NOVOB 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: Novo Nordisk A/S leads (85 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Waters Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Novo Nordisk A/S has 3 segments (71.1% in Diabetes care); Waters Corporation has 4 segments (34.9% in Waters instrument systems).
  • Moat breadth: Novo Nordisk A/S has 5 moat types across 3 domains; Waters Corporation has 7 across 2.

Primary market context

Novo Nordisk A/S

Diabetes care

Market

Diabetes pharmaceuticals (GLP-1 for type 2 diabetes, insulin, and related therapies)

Geography

Global

Customer

Payers/providers and patients (via wholesalers/pharmacies/hospitals)

Role

Originator pharma (R&D, regulatory, manufacturing, commercialization)

Revenue share

71.1%

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

Novo Nordisk A/S
Waters Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
NOVOB - Nasdaq Copenhagen
WAT - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$1.7T
$23.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
82.1%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
42%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
32.9%
n/a
Sector
Healthcare
Healthcare
Industry
Biotechnology
n/a
HQ country
DK
US
Primary segment
Diabetes care
Waters instrument systems
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
33.7% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
85 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Legal, Supply, Demand
Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-28
2026-01-09

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand Trust

Novo Nordisk A/S strengths

IP Choke PointRegulated Standards PipeCapacity MoatLearning Curve Yield

Waters Corporation strengths

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

Segment mix

Novo Nordisk A/S segments

Full profile >

Diabetes care

Oligopoly

71.1%

Obesity care

Duopoly

22.4%

Rare disease

Oligopoly

6.4%

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.