VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

Pool Corporation vs QUALCOMM Incorporated

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

Pool Corporation

POOL · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$8.8B
Gross margin (TTM)29.6%
Operating margin (TTM)11.1%
Net margin (TTM)7.8%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryIndustrial - Distribution
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
56/ 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 Pool Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View POOL analysis

QUALCOMM Incorporated

QCOM · NASDAQ Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$188.8B
Gross margin (TTM)55.4%
Operating margin (TTM)27.9%
Net margin (TTM)12.5%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySemiconductors
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
70/ 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 QUALCOMM Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View QCOM analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: QUALCOMM Incorporated leads (70 / 100 vs 56 / 100 for Pool Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Pool Corporation has 1 segment (100% in Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)); QUALCOMM Incorporated has 4 segments (62.8% in Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Weak vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Pool Corporation has 5 moat types across 2 domains; QUALCOMM Incorporated has 7 across 4.

Primary market context

Pool Corporation

Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)

Market

Wholesale distribution of swimming pool, irrigation/landscape, and related outdoor living products

Geography

North America (majority), with operations in Europe and Australia

Customer

Pool builders/remodelers, pool service/repair professionals, specialty pool retailers, irrigation/landscape contractors, commercial pool operators

Role

Distributor / wholesaler

Revenue share

100%

QUALCOMM Incorporated

Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)

Market

Smartphone application processors and cellular modem/RF platforms

Geography

Global

Customer

Smartphone OEMs

Role

fabless semiconductor/platform supplier

Revenue share

62.8%

Side-by-side metrics

Pool Corporation
QUALCOMM Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
POOL - NASDAQ
QCOM - NASDAQ Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$8.8B
$188.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
29.6%
55.4%
Operating margin (TTM)
11.1%
27.9%
Net margin (TTM)
7.8%
12.5%
Sector
Industrials
Technology
Industry
Industrial - Distribution
Semiconductors
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)
Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
22%-26% (estimated)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Weak
Moderate
Moat score
56 / 100
70 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Supply, Network, Demand, Legal
Last update
2026-01-06
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Scope Economies

Pool Corporation strengths

Physical Network DensityScale Economies Unit CostProcurement InertiaData Workflow Lockin

QUALCOMM Incorporated strengths

Keystone ComponentCapex Knowhow ScaleEcosystem ComplementsDesign In QualificationIP Choke PointLong Term Contracts

Segment mix

Pool Corporation segments

Full profile >

Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)

Competitive

100%

QUALCOMM Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Handset chipsets (Snapdragon platforms)

Oligopoly

62.8%

Automotive silicon (connectivity, digital cockpit, ADAS/AD)

Oligopoly

8.9%

IoT silicon (consumer, industrial, edge networking)

Competitive

14.9%

Wireless technology licensing (cellular SEPs, royalties)

Oligopoly

12.6%

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.