VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Monday, January 5, 2026

Stock Comparison

Kao Corporation vs Deutsche Boerse AG

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)$2.9T
Gross margin (TTM)39.2%
Operating margin (TTM)9.5%
Net margin (TTM)7.3%
SectorConsumer
IndustryHousehold & Personal Products
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

Deutsche Boerse AG

DB1 · Xetra

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorFinancials
Industry
CountryDE
Data as of2026-01-03
Moat score
81/ 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 Deutsche Boerse AG's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View DB1 analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Deutsche Boerse AG leads (81 / 100 vs 60 / 100 for Kao Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Kao Corporation has 5 segments (33.5% in Hygiene Living Care Business); Deutsche Boerse AG has 8 segments (28.2% in Securities Services (Clearstream: ICSD/CSD settlement + custody)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Duopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Kao Corporation has 5 moat types across 2 domains; Deutsche Boerse AG has 12 across 5.

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%

Deutsche Boerse AG

Securities Services (Clearstream: ICSD/CSD settlement + custody)

Market

Securities settlement and custody infrastructure (ICSD/CSD) for Eurobonds and domestic markets

Geography

Global (Eurobonds + multiple domestic markets)

Customer

Custodian banks, broker-dealers, central banks, institutional investors

Role

Settlement/custody infrastructure and asset servicing

Revenue share

28.2%

Side-by-side metrics

Kao Corporation
Deutsche Boerse AG
Ticker / Exchange
4452 - Tokyo Stock Exchange
DB1 - Xetra
Market cap (USD)
$2.9T
n/a
Gross margin (TTM)
39.2%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
9.5%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
7.3%
n/a
Sector
Consumer
Financials
Industry
Household & Personal Products
n/a
HQ country
JP
DE
Primary segment
Hygiene Living Care Business
Securities Services (Clearstream: ICSD/CSD settlement + custody)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Duopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
60 / 100
81 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply
Legal, Network, Demand, Financial, Supply
Last update
2025-12-28
2026-01-03

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand Trust

Kao Corporation strengths

Training Org Change CostsService Field NetworkCapex Knowhow ScaleDesign In Qualification

Deutsche Boerse AG strengths

Regulated Standards PipeTwo Sided NetworkDe Facto StandardClearing SettlementInteroperability HubFloat PrepaymentSwitching Costs GeneralScale Economies Unit CostData Workflow LockinSuite BundlingFormat Lock In

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%

Deutsche Boerse AG segments

Full profile >

Financial Derivatives (Eurex trading + Eurex Clearing)

Oligopoly

22.4%

Commodities (EEX marketplaces + clearing)

Oligopoly

10.9%

Cash Equities (Xetra + Boerse Frankfurt)

Quasi-Monopoly

5.1%

FX & Digital Assets (360T + Crypto Finance)

Competitive

2.8%

Securities Services (Clearstream: ICSD/CSD settlement + custody)

Duopoly

28.2%

Fund Services (Vestima fund processing + Fund Centre distribution)

Oligopoly

8.5%

Software Solutions (SimCorp + Axioma Analytics)

Competitive

11.9%

ESG & Index (ISS STOXX: indices + ESG/governance data)

Oligopoly

10.1%

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.