VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

VeriSign, Inc. vs Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

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

VeriSign, Inc.

VRSN · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$23.1B
Gross margin (TTM)88%
Operating margin (TTM)67.6%
Net margin (TTM)49.9%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySoftware - Infrastructure
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
Moat score
100/ 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 VeriSign, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View VRSN analysis

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

VRTX · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$119B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorHealthcare
IndustryBiotechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-08
Moat score
99/ 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 Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View VRTX analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: VeriSign, Inc. leads (100 / 100 vs 99 / 100 for Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated).
  • Segment focus: VeriSign, Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Naming Services (.com and .net registry)); Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has 3 segments (99.9% in Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators).
  • Primary market structure: Monopoly vs Quasi-Monopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: VeriSign, Inc. has 4 moat types across 4 domains; Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has 7 across 4.

Primary market context

VeriSign, Inc.

Naming Services (.com and .net registry)

Market

Registry operator services for .com and .net top-level domains (domain registrations + authoritative DNS resolution)

Geography

Global

Customer

ICANN-accredited domain registrars (wholesale) and, indirectly, registrants

Role

Registry operator / DNS infrastructure provider

Revenue share

100%

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators

Market

CFTR modulator therapies for cystic fibrosis

Geography

U.S., Europe, Australia, Canada

Customer

Patients (via specialty pharmacies/payers); CF care centers

Role

Drug developer/manufacturer

Revenue share

99.9%

Side-by-side metrics

VeriSign, Inc.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
VRSN - Nasdaq Global Select Market
VRTX - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$23.1B
$119B
Gross margin (TTM)
88%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
67.6%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
49.9%
n/a
Sector
Technology
Healthcare
Industry
Software - Infrastructure
Biotechnology
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Naming Services (.com and .net registry)
Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators
Market structure
Monopoly
Quasi-Monopoly
Market share
100% (reported)
70%-78% (reported)
HHI estimate
10,000
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Strong
Moat score
100 / 100
99 / 100
Moat domains
Legal, Network, Supply, Financial
Legal, Demand, Financial, Supply
Last update
2025-12-31
2026-01-08

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

VeriSign, Inc. strengths

Concession LicenseDe Facto StandardOperational ExcellenceFloat Prepayment

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated strengths

IP Choke PointGovernment Contracting RelationshipsSwitching Costs GeneralBenchmark Pricing PowerRegulated Standards PipeService Field NetworkCapacity Moat

Segment mix

VeriSign, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Naming Services (.com and .net registry)

Monopoly

100%

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Modulators

Quasi-Monopoly

99.9%

Hemoglobinopathies Gene Therapy (CASGEVY)

Oligopoly

0.1%

Acute Pain (JOURNAVX)

Competitive

n/a

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.