Which is better, IDXX or WAT?

On the Buffett-Fit framework, IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. (IDXX) currently grades higher than WAT — 75/100 (B grade) vs 63/100 (C). That said, "better" depends on which framework you trust — IDXX wins on Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Philip Fisher, Peter Lynch, Joel Greenblatt, Charlie Munger, and Terry Smith; WAT wins on none. The full pillar breakdown is on this page.

Should I buy IDXX or WAT?

This page is an educational comparison, not investment advice. Both IDXX and WAT are graded against the same Buffett 5-pillar framework (moat, earnings durability, management quality, financial health, valuation) plus six other documented investor frameworks. Read the side-by-side breakdown to see which one matches the criteria you care about most — and always do your own research before making any investment decision.

Is IDXX better than WAT for value investing?

On the Buffett-style value-investing framework, IDXX currently grades higher — 75/100 vs 63/100, a 12-point gap. The gap is driven by which pillars each stock passes; the table on this page shows moat, durability, management, financial health, and valuation side-by-side.

What's the difference between IDXX and WAT on Warren Buffett's framework?

Both stocks are evaluated on the same five pillars: economic moat (durable competitive advantage), earnings durability (consistent profitability), management quality (capital allocation), financial health (conservative balance sheet), and valuation (margin of safety). IDXX currently scores 75/100 (B grade); WAT scores 63/100 (C grade). The "Where each wins" section on this page breaks down which pillar each stock dominates.

Which has the stronger moat, IDXX or WAT?

Moat strength is one of the five pillars in the Buffett-Fit score on this page. IDXX and WAT are each scored on ROIC sustainability, gross-margin durability, and qualitative signals like brand strength, switching costs, network effects, and regulatory barriers. The pillar breakdown on this page shows the moat sub-score side-by-side so you can see which one has the more durable competitive advantage.

Which is more undervalued, IDXX or WAT?

Valuation is one of the five Buffett-Fit pillars on this page. Both stocks are scored on owner-earnings yield, price-to-intrinsic-value vs the underlying compounding rate, and the margin of safety relative to a conservative DCF. The valuation sub-score in the table below tells you which one currently trades at a more attractive price relative to its underlying business quality.

Are IDXX and WAT both Healthcare stocks?

Yes — both IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. (IDXX) and Waters Corporation (WAT) operate in the Healthcare sector. That makes this a direct sector-peer comparison, which is the apples-to-apples way to use the Buffett-Fit framework: the score weighs each stock against its sector's specific quality and valuation benchmarks (sector-relative bonus), so the cross-stock comparison isn't distorted by inter-sector base-rate differences.

Is this IDXX vs WAT comparison investment advice?

No. This page is an educational pattern-match against documented public frameworks (Buffett, Graham, Fisher, Lynch, Greenblatt, Munger, Smith), not personalised investment advice. The scores reflect how closely each stock matches each framework's documented criteria — they are not buy/hold/sell recommendations. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial adviser for personalised advice.

Stock comparison

IDEXX Laboratories

Waters

Scored across Buffett, Graham, Lynch and Greenblatt - plus a side-by-side metric table covering valuation, quality, growth and balance sheet.

IDXX

IDEXX Laboratories

Market cap

$44.12B

Sector

Healthcare

WAT

Waters

Market cap

$22.32B

Sector

Healthcare

Overall winner

IDEXX Laboratories IDXX

Wins on the combined sum of fit scores across all four strategies. Per-strategy breakdown below.

Fit scores by strategy

Strategy	IDXX	WAT	Winner
Warren Buffett	75B	63C	IDXX
Benjamin Graham	80A	62C	IDXX
Philip Fisher

Side-by-side metrics

Metric	IDXX	WAT
Market cap	$44.12B	$22.32B
P/E (TTM)	39.0x	63.6x
EV/EBIT	31.6x	30.7x
ROIC (TTM)	40.66%	2.25%
Gross margin	62.05%	55.02%
Net margin	24.63%	11.91%
Revenue CAGR 5y	7.56%

Where each one wins

The metrics with the biggest gap between the two - sorted so the most decisive edges read first.

IDXX leads on

EPS CAGR 5y10.79%vs -1.02%+109%
ROIC (TTM)40.66%vs 2.25%+94%
Revenue CAGR 5y7.56%vs 3.24%+57%
Net margin24.63%vs 11.91%

More like IDXX

IDXX vs LMAT IDXX vs MTD IDXX vs HALO IDXX vs HRMY IDXX vs RPRX IDXX vs GMAB

More like WAT

Related on invest-like

Strongest Moat Highest ROIC Warren Buffett strategy Economic Moat

Educational tool. Fit scores are deterministic projections from public financials onto each investor's published criteria - not personal recommendations or advice.