VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

SBA Communications Corporation vs Waters Corporation

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

SBA Communications Corporation

SBAC · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$19.5B
Gross margin (TTM)75.4%
Operating margin (TTM)51.1%
Net margin (TTM)30.7%
SectorReal Estate
IndustryREIT - Specialty
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
71/ 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 SBA Communications Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View SBAC 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: SBA Communications Corporation leads (71 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Waters Corporation).
  • Segment focus: SBA Communications Corporation has 3 segments (69.5% in Domestic Site Leasing); Waters Corporation has 4 segments (34.9% in Waters instrument systems).
  • Moat breadth: SBA Communications Corporation has 4 moat types across 2 domains; Waters Corporation has 7 across 2.

Primary market context

SBA Communications Corporation

Domestic Site Leasing

Market

U.S. wireless macro tower leasing (multi-tenant co-location on communications towers)

Geography

United States and territories

Customer

Wireless service providers and other wireless network operators/tenants

Role

Independent tower owner/operator (REIT)

Revenue share

69.5%

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

SBA Communications Corporation
Waters Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
SBAC - NASDAQ
WAT - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$19.5B
$23.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
75.4%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
51.1%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
30.7%
n/a
Sector
Real Estate
Healthcare
Industry
REIT - Specialty
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Domestic Site Leasing
Waters instrument systems
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
16%-19% (implied)
n/a
HHI estimate
3,710
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
71 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Demand, Supply
Last update
2026-01-02
2026-01-09

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Long Term Contracts

SBA Communications Corporation strengths

Physical Network DensityScale Economies Unit CostOperational Excellence

Waters Corporation strengths

Data Workflow LockinDesign In QualificationBrand TrustInstalled Base ConsumablesSupply Chain ControlService Field Network

Segment mix

SBA Communications Corporation segments

Full profile >

Domestic Site Leasing

Oligopoly

69.5%

International Site Leasing

Oligopoly

24.8%

Site Development

Competitive

5.7%

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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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.