VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

The Progressive Corporation vs Waters Corporation

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

The Progressive Corporation

PGR · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$126.1B
Gross margin (TTM)26.3%
Operating margin (TTM)15.9%
Net margin (TTM)12.6%
SectorFinancials
IndustryInsurance - Property & Casualty
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-04
Moat score
75/ 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 The Progressive Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View PGR 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: The Progressive Corporation leads (75 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Waters Corporation).
  • Segment focus: The Progressive Corporation has 2 segments (85% in Personal Lines); Waters Corporation has 4 segments (34.9% in Waters instrument systems).
  • Moat breadth: The Progressive Corporation has 5 moat types across 2 domains; Waters Corporation has 7 across 2.

Primary market context

The Progressive Corporation

Personal Lines

Market

U.S. private passenger auto insurance (dominant) plus specialty personal lines and homeowners/renters (small portion)

Geography

United States

Customer

Individuals/households

Role

Primary insurer (P&C)

Revenue share

85%

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

The Progressive Corporation
Waters Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
PGR - New York Stock Exchange
WAT - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$126.1B
$23.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
26.3%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
15.9%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
12.6%
n/a
Sector
Financials
Healthcare
Industry
Insurance - Property & Casualty
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Personal Lines
Waters instrument systems
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
16.7% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
75 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Demand, Supply
Last update
2026-01-04
2026-01-09

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustService Field Network

The Progressive Corporation strengths

Learning Curve YieldSuite BundlingOperational Excellence

Waters Corporation strengths

Data Workflow LockinDesign In QualificationInstalled Base ConsumablesSupply Chain ControlLong Term Contracts

Segment mix

The Progressive Corporation segments

Full profile >

Personal Lines

Oligopoly

85%

Commercial Lines

Competitive

15%

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.