VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

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Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

PepsiCo, Inc. vs Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

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

PepsiCo, Inc.

PEP · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$191.3B
Gross margin (TTM)54.2%
Operating margin (TTM)14.3%
Net margin (TTM)7.8%
SectorConsumer
IndustryBeverages - Non-Alcoholic
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-23
Moat score
72/ 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 PepsiCo, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View PEP 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 72 / 100 for PepsiCo, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: PepsiCo, Inc. has 7 segments (27% in Frito-Lay North America (FLNA)); 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: PepsiCo, Inc. has 4 moat types across 2 domains; Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has 7 across 4.

Primary market context

PepsiCo, Inc.

Frito-Lay North America (FLNA)

Market

Branded convenient foods (salty snacks, dips and adjacent categories)

Geography

United States and Canada

Customer

Retailers, convenience stores, foodservice

Role

Branded manufacturer + distributor (DSD/warehouse/distributor networks)

Revenue share

27%

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

PepsiCo, Inc.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
PEP - Nasdaq Global Select Market
VRTX - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$191.3B
$119B
Gross margin (TTM)
54.2%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
14.3%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
7.8%
n/a
Sector
Consumer
Healthcare
Industry
Beverages - Non-Alcoholic
Biotechnology
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Frito-Lay North America (FLNA)
Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators
Market structure
Oligopoly
Quasi-Monopoly
Market share
54%-58% (implied)
70%-78% (reported)
HHI estimate
3,530
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
72 / 100
99 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Legal, Demand, Financial, Supply
Last update
2025-12-23
2026-01-08

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

PepsiCo, Inc. strengths

Distribution ControlBrand TrustScale Economies Unit CostScope Economies

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated strengths

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

Segment mix

PepsiCo, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Frito-Lay North America (FLNA)

Oligopoly

27%

Quaker Foods North America (QFNA)

Competitive

4.2%

PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA)

Oligopoly

19.9%

Latin America (LatAm)

Oligopoly

12.3%

Europe

Oligopoly

22.4%

Africa, Middle East and South Asia (AMESA)

Competitive

8.8%

Asia Pacific, Australia & New Zealand and China Region (APAC)

Competitive

5.5%

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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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.