VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Pfizer Inc. vs Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

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

Pfizer Inc.

PFE · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$144.8B
Gross margin (TTM)71.2%
Operating margin (TTM)27.8%
Net margin (TTM)15.6%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryDrug Manufacturers - General
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-29
Moat score
58/ 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 Pfizer Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View PFE 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 58 / 100 for Pfizer Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Pfizer Inc. has 5 segments (47.4% in Primary Care); 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: Pfizer Inc. has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has 7 across 4.

Primary market context

Pfizer Inc.

Primary Care

Market

Branded primary care medicines and vaccines (incl. cardiovascular, migraine, pneumococcal/RSV/COVID-19)

Geography

Global

Customer

Healthcare providers, payers/PBMs, pharmacies/wholesalers, and government procurement

Role

Innovator biopharma (R&D + manufacturing + commercialization)

Revenue share

47.4%

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

Pfizer Inc.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
PFE - New York Stock Exchange
VRTX - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$144.8B
$119B
Gross margin (TTM)
71.2%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
27.8%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
15.6%
n/a
Sector
Healthcare
Healthcare
Industry
Drug Manufacturers - General
Biotechnology
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Primary Care
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
58 / 100
99 / 100
Moat domains
Legal, Demand, Supply
Legal, Demand, Financial, Supply
Last update
2025-12-29
2026-01-08

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

IP Choke PointGovernment Contracting Relationships

Pfizer Inc. strengths

Procurement InertiaCapex Knowhow ScaleCompliance AdvantageLong Term ContractsOperational ExcellenceEmbedded R&D partnership platform

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated strengths

Switching Costs GeneralBenchmark Pricing PowerRegulated Standards PipeService Field NetworkCapacity Moat

Segment mix

Pfizer Inc. segments

Full profile >

Primary Care

Oligopoly

47.4%

Specialty Care

Oligopoly

26.2%

Oncology

Competitive

24.5%

Pfizer CentreOne

Competitive

1.8%

Pfizer Ignite

Competitive

0.1%

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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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.