VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Monday, December 29, 2025

Stock Comparison

Kao Corporation vs ASM International N.V.

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

ASM International N.V.

ASM · Euronext Amsterdam

Market cap (USD)
SectorTechnology
CountryNL
Data as of2025-12-29
Moat score
74/ 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 ASM International N.V.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ASM analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: ASM International N.V. leads (74 / 100 vs 60 / 100 for Kao Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Kao Corporation has 5 segments (33.5% in Hygiene Living Care Business); ASM International N.V. has 3 segments.
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Quasi-Monopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs n/a.
  • Moat breadth: Kao Corporation has 5 moat types across 2 domains; ASM International N.V. has 5 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%

ASM International N.V.

ALD equipment

Market

Single-wafer atomic layer deposition (ALD) equipment for semiconductor manufacturing

Geography

Global

Customer

Semiconductor manufacturers (logic/foundry, memory)

Role

Wafer fab equipment supplier

Side-by-side metrics

Kao Corporation
ASM International N.V.
Ticker / Exchange
4452 - Tokyo Stock Exchange
ASM - Euronext Amsterdam
Market cap (USD)
$18.5B
n/a
Sector
Consumer
Technology
HQ country
JP
NL
Primary segment
Hygiene Living Care Business
ALD equipment
Market structure
Oligopoly
Quasi-Monopoly
Market share
n/a
55%-60% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
n/a
Moat score
60 / 100
74 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply
Supply, Demand, Legal
Last update
2025-12-28
2025-12-29

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Service Field NetworkDesign In Qualification

Kao Corporation strengths

Brand TrustTraining Org Change CostsCapex Knowhow Scale

ASM International N.V. strengths

Learning Curve YieldIP Choke PointInstalled Base Consumables

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%

ASM International N.V. segments

Full profile >

ALD equipment

Quasi-Monopoly

n/a

Silicon epitaxy equipment

Oligopoly

n/a

Spares and services

Quasi-Monopoly

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.