Does Watsco have an economic moat?
Maybe
Watsco earns 19.7% a year on the money invested in it: decent, but not the clear sign of a wide moat.
The numbers behind it
Return on invested capital, average of recent years19.7%
Return on invested capital, latest year14.9%
Gross margin28.0%Share of each sale left after production costs
Net margin6.9%
How we decide
A moat shows up in the numbers as high returns that last. We call it likely when the average return on invested capital over recent years is at least 15% and the gross margin at least 40%, and possible from 10%. The numbers can't show where a moat comes from (brand, network, patents), only that one seems to exist.
More questions about Watsco
Data as of Nov 13, 2026.