VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Unilever PLC vs Waters Corporation

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

Unilever PLC

ULVR · London Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$103.5B
Gross margin (TTM)35.4%
Operating margin (TTM)16.1%
Net margin (TTM)9.9%
SectorConsumer
IndustryHousehold & Personal Products
CountryGB
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
65/ 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 Unilever PLC's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ULVR 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: Waters Corporation leads (66 / 100 vs 65 / 100 for Unilever PLC).
  • Segment focus: Unilever PLC has 4 segments (25.9% in Personal Care); Waters Corporation has 4 segments (34.9% in Waters instrument systems).
  • Moat breadth: Unilever PLC has 3 moat types across 2 domains; Waters Corporation has 7 across 2.

Primary market context

Unilever PLC

Personal Care

Market

Branded personal care and hygiene (deodorants, skin cleansing, oral care)

Geography

Global

Customer

Consumers (retail, e-commerce)

Role

Brand owner / manufacturer

Revenue share

25.9%

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

Unilever PLC
Waters Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
ULVR - London Stock Exchange
WAT - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$103.5B
$23.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
35.4%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
16.1%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
9.9%
n/a
Sector
Consumer
Healthcare
Industry
Household & Personal Products
n/a
HQ country
GB
US
Primary segment
Personal Care
Waters instrument systems
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
65 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply
Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-09

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand Trust

Unilever PLC strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostDistribution Control

Waters Corporation strengths

Data Workflow LockinDesign In QualificationInstalled Base ConsumablesSupply Chain ControlLong Term ContractsService Field Network

Segment mix

Unilever PLC segments

Full profile >

Beauty & Wellbeing

Oligopoly

25.1%

Personal Care

Oligopoly

25.9%

Home Care

Oligopoly

23.4%

Foods

Competitive

25.5%

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.