VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Stock Comparison

Kao Corporation vs Hoshizaki Corporation

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

Kao Corporation

4452 · Tokyo Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$18.5B
SectorConsumer
CountryJP
Data as of2025-12-28
Moat score
60/ 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 Kao Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View 4452 analysis

Hoshizaki Corporation

6465 · Tokyo Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)
SectorIndustrials
CountryJP
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
60/ 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 Hoshizaki Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View 6465 analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score: both at 60 / 100.
  • Segment focus: Kao Corporation has 5 segments (33.5% in Hygiene Living Care Business); Hoshizaki Corporation has 7 segments (26.4% in Refrigerators & freezers).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Kao Corporation has 5 moat types across 2 domains; Hoshizaki Corporation has 7 across 3.

Primary market context

Kao Corporation

Hygiene Living Care Business

Market

Household & fabric care and sanitary consumer packaged goods

Geography

Japan and Asia (with select global brands)

Customer

Consumers (retail)

Role

Branded manufacturer

Revenue share

33.5%

Hoshizaki Corporation

Refrigerators & freezers

Market

Commercial refrigerators & freezers for professional kitchens and food retail

Geography

Global

Customer

Restaurants, supermarkets/convenience stores, institutional kitchens, food distribution and preparation facilities

Role

OEM/manufacturer with after-sales support; increasingly connected monitoring/services

Revenue share

26.4%

Side-by-side metrics

Kao Corporation
Hoshizaki Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
4452 - Tokyo Stock Exchange
6465 - Tokyo Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$18.5B
n/a
Sector
Consumer
Industrials
HQ country
JP
JP
Primary segment
Hygiene Living Care Business
Refrigerators & freezers
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
60 / 100
60 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply
Demand, Supply, Legal
Last update
2025-12-28
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustService Field Network

Kao Corporation strengths

Training Org Change CostsCapex Knowhow ScaleDesign In Qualification

Hoshizaki Corporation strengths

Distribution ControlCompliance AdvantageSuite BundlingInstalled Base ConsumablesData Workflow Lockin

Segment mix

Kao Corporation segments

Full profile >

Hygiene Living Care Business

Oligopoly

33.5%

Health Beauty Care Business

Competitive

26%

Cosmetics Business

Competitive

15%

Business Connected Business

Competitive

2.4%

Chemical Business

Competitive

23.1%

Hoshizaki Corporation segments

Full profile >

Ice makers

Oligopoly

19.5%

Refrigerators & freezers

Competitive

26.4%

Commercial dishwashers (warewashing)

Oligopoly

13.3%

Dispensers (beverage systems)

Oligopoly

15%

Other Hoshizaki products

Competitive

8.7%

Maintenance / repair (service, parts, and connected monitoring)

Quasi-Monopoly

6.8%

Other companies' products (resale/complementary kitchen equipment)

Competitive

10.3%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

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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.