VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

PDD Holdings Inc. vs Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

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

PDD Holdings Inc.

PDD · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$168.7B
Gross margin (TTM)56.7%
Operating margin (TTM)22.1%
Net margin (TTM)24.4%
SectorConsumer
IndustrySpecialty Retail
CountryKY
Data as of2025-12-29
Moat score
44/ 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 PDD Holdings Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View PDD 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 44 / 100 for PDD Holdings Inc.).
  • Segment focus: PDD Holdings Inc. has 2 segments; 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: PDD Holdings Inc. has 4 moat types across 4 domains; Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has 7 across 4.

Primary market context

PDD Holdings Inc.

Pinduoduo China marketplace

Market

China online retail marketplace (value-for-money focus)

Geography

China

Customer

Consumers & third-party merchants

Role

Online marketplace platform

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

PDD Holdings Inc.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
PDD - NASDAQ
VRTX - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$168.7B
$119B
Gross margin (TTM)
56.7%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
22.1%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
24.4%
n/a
Sector
Consumer
Healthcare
Industry
Specialty Retail
Biotechnology
HQ country
KY
US
Primary segment
Pinduoduo China marketplace
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
44 / 100
99 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Supply, Financial, Legal
Legal, Demand, Financial, Supply
Last update
2025-12-29
2026-01-08

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

PDD Holdings Inc. strengths

Two Sided NetworkScale Economies Unit CostFloat PrepaymentCompliance Advantage

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated strengths

IP Choke PointGovernment Contracting RelationshipsSwitching Costs GeneralBenchmark Pricing PowerRegulated Standards PipeService Field NetworkCapacity Moat

Segment mix

PDD Holdings Inc. segments

Full profile >

Pinduoduo China marketplace

Oligopoly

n/a

Temu international marketplace

Competitive

n/a

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?

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

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Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

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.