Best wide-moat stocks for 2026: durable returns on capital

Name: Best wide-moat stocks — top 25 list
Creator: StockMarketAgent.AI
Published: 2026-10-28
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

A wide moat is the single most important variable for long-run total return. Companies that can earn returns on capital materially above their cost of capital, and sustain that gap for years, compound shareholder value at rates that no amount of multiple expansion can match. The list below filters our covered universe for the structural markers of moat durability: ROIC at or above 15%, gross margin at or above 40%, and a market cap large enough to ensure the data is meaningful. Each name carries our archetype-aware Fair value, Potential value, and current rating in its full report; this listicle is the entry point.

How we picked: Cohort: ROIC at least 15%, gross margin at least 40%, market cap at least $5B. Sorted by market cap descending. The same filter set powers /stock-lists/wide-moat with a tighter freshness gate.

Source snapshot 2026-10-28 · freshness SLO 72 hours.

01
NVDANVIDIA Corporation
ROIC 92.0%, gross margin 74.7% — durable returns above cost of capital.
5.19T USD
02
AAPLApple Inc.
ROIC 101.6%, gross margin 48.7% — durable returns above cost of capital.
5.02T USD
03
GOOGLAlphabet Inc.
ROIC 24.9%, gross margin 60.9% — durable returns above cost of capital.
3.97T USD
04
GOOGAlphabet Inc.
ROIC 24.9%, gross margin 60.9% — durable returns above cost of capital.
3.96T USD
05
MSFTMicrosoft Corporation
ROIC 26.2%, gross margin 67.9% — durable returns above cost of capital.
3.94T USD
06
TSMTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
ROIC 60.3%, gross margin 65.8% — durable returns above cost of capital.
1.95T TWD
07
AVGOBroadcom Inc.
ROIC 30.7%, gross margin 75.5% — durable returns above cost of capital.
1.68T USD
08
METAMeta Platforms, Inc.
ROIC 29.6%, gross margin 81.0% — durable returns above cost of capital.
1.56T USD
09
LLYEli Lilly and Company
ROIC 42.2%, gross margin 83.4% — durable returns above cost of capital.
1.15T USD
10
MUMicron Technology, Inc.
ROIC 93.4%, gross margin 80.7% — durable returns above cost of capital.
1.11T USD
11
SKHYSK hynix Inc.
ROIC 61.6%, gross margin 76.3% — durable returns above cost of capital.
913.22B KRW
12
VVisa Inc.
ROIC 56.0%, gross margin 97.7% — durable returns above cost of capital.
745.19B USD
13
JNJJohnson & Johnson
ROIC 21.6%, gross margin 67.8% — durable returns above cost of capital.
652.79B USD
14
ASMLASML Holding N.V.
ROIC 92.1%, gross margin 54.3% — durable returns above cost of capital.
647.91B EUR
15
MAMastercard Incorporated
ROIC 93.8%, gross margin 100.0% — durable returns above cost of capital.
534.85B USD
16
ABBVAbbVie Inc.
ROIC 17.7%, gross margin 72.8% — durable returns above cost of capital.
505.55B USD
17
PLTRPalantir Technologies Inc.
ROIC 363.8%, gross margin 84.8% — durable returns above cost of capital.
471.86B USD
18
CSCOCisco Systems, Inc.
ROIC 20.4%, gross margin 64.5% — durable returns above cost of capital.
434.51B USD
19
KOThe Coca-Cola Company
ROIC 20.8%, gross margin 62.3% — durable returns above cost of capital.
394.71B USD
20
PGThe Procter & Gamble Company
ROIC 21.9%, gross margin 50.6% — durable returns above cost of capital.
367.11B USD
21
AMATApplied Materials, Inc.
ROIC 35.6%, gross margin 49.4% — durable returns above cost of capital.
329.75B USD
22
LRCXLam Research Corporation
ROIC 79.1%, gross margin 51.1% — durable returns above cost of capital.
317.19B USD
23
PMPhilip Morris International Inc.
ROIC 33.6%, gross margin 67.7% — durable returns above cost of capital.
316.03B USD
24
NVSNovartis AG
ROIC 19.3%, gross margin 75.2% — durable returns above cost of capital.
291.75B USD
25
TXNTexas Instruments Incorporated
ROIC 30.1%, gross margin 60.2% — durable returns above cost of capital.
283.27B USD

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