VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Tesla, Inc. vs Waters Corporation

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

Tesla, Inc.

TSLA · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$1.4T
Gross margin (TTM)17%
Operating margin (TTM)4.7%
Net margin (TTM)5.5%
SectorConsumer
IndustryAuto - Manufacturers
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-05
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 Tesla, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View TSLA 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: Tesla, Inc. leads (75 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Waters Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Tesla, Inc. has 3 segments (78.9% in Automotive (vehicles + software + leasing + regulatory credits)); Waters Corporation has 4 segments (34.9% in Waters instrument systems).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Tesla, Inc. has 9 moat types across 3 domains; Waters Corporation has 7 across 2.

Primary market context

Tesla, Inc.

Automotive (vehicles + software + leasing + regulatory credits)

Market

Battery-electric passenger vehicles (BEV) and connected vehicle software

Geography

United States (market share datapoint); global competition

Customer

Consumers and small fleets

Role

OEM (design, manufacture, direct-to-consumer sales)

Revenue share

78.9%

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

Tesla, Inc.
Waters Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
TSLA - NASDAQ
WAT - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$1.4T
$23.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
17%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
4.7%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
5.5%
n/a
Sector
Consumer
Healthcare
Industry
Auto - Manufacturers
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Automotive (vehicles + software + leasing + regulatory credits)
Waters instrument systems
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
56.7% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
75 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Supply, Demand
Demand, Supply
Last update
2026-01-05
2026-01-09

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustService Field NetworkData Workflow Lockin

Tesla, Inc. strengths

Data Network EffectsCapex Knowhow ScalePhysical Network DensitySwitching Costs GeneralScope EconomiesScale Economies Unit Cost

Waters Corporation strengths

Design In QualificationInstalled Base ConsumablesSupply Chain ControlLong Term Contracts

Segment mix

Tesla, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Automotive (vehicles + software + leasing + regulatory credits)

Competitive

78.9%

Services and Other (Supercharging + after-sales + used vehicles + insurance)

Quasi-Monopoly

10.8%

Energy Generation and Storage (Megapack + Powerwall + solar)

Oligopoly

10.3%

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?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

View the moat stocks list

Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

View expansion-stage stocks

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.