VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 1, 2026

Stock Comparison

Kao Corporation vs Cintas 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

Cintas Corporation

CTAS · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)
SectorIndustrials
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-01
Moat score
63/ 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 Cintas Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CTAS analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Cintas Corporation leads (63 / 100 vs 60 / 100 for Kao Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Kao Corporation has 5 segments (33.5% in Hygiene Living Care Business); Cintas Corporation has 3 segments (77.1% in Uniform Rental and Facility Services).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Kao Corporation has 5 moat types across 2 domains; Cintas Corporation has 5 across 2.

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%

Cintas Corporation

Uniform Rental and Facility Services

Market

B2B uniform rental and route-based facility services (entrance mats, restroom supplies, towels/mops, etc.)

Geography

North America (primarily United States; also Canada and Latin America)

Customer

Businesses (SMB to large enterprise) via local delivery routes and branches

Role

Service operator / rental provider (route-based distribution and processing network)

Revenue share

77.1%

Side-by-side metrics

Kao Corporation
Cintas Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
4452 - Tokyo Stock Exchange
CTAS - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$18.5B
n/a
Sector
Consumer
Industrials
HQ country
JP
US
Primary segment
Hygiene Living Care Business
Uniform Rental and Facility Services
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
60 / 100
63 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply
Supply, Demand
Last update
2025-12-28
2026-01-01

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Service Field Network

Kao Corporation strengths

Brand TrustTraining Org Change CostsCapex Knowhow ScaleDesign In Qualification

Cintas Corporation strengths

Procurement InertiaSuite BundlingOperational ExcellenceSwitching Costs General

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%

Cintas Corporation segments

Full profile >

Uniform Rental and Facility Services

Competitive

77.1%

First Aid and Safety Services

Competitive

11.8%

All Other (Fire Protection Services and Uniform Direct Sale)

Competitive

11.1%

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.