VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

Kao Corporation vs KONE Oyj

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

KONE Oyj

KNEBV · Nasdaq Helsinki

Market cap (USD)$37B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorIndustrials
Industry
CountryFI
Data as of2026-01-02
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 KONE Oyj's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View KNEBV analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: KONE Oyj leads (63 / 100 vs 60 / 100 for Kao Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Kao Corporation has 5 segments (33.5% in Hygiene Living Care Business); KONE Oyj has 3 segments (40.6% in New Building Solutions).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Weak.
  • Moat breadth: Kao Corporation has 5 moat types across 2 domains; KONE Oyj has 8 across 4.

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%

KONE Oyj

New Building Solutions

Market

Elevator, escalator and automatic building door new equipment (new installations)

Geography

Global

Customer

Property developers and general contractors

Role

OEM + project installation

Revenue share

40.6%

Side-by-side metrics

Kao Corporation
KONE Oyj
Ticker / Exchange
4452 - Tokyo Stock Exchange
KNEBV - Nasdaq Helsinki
Market cap (USD)
$2.9T
$37B
Gross margin (TTM)
39.2%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
9.5%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
7.3%
n/a
Sector
Consumer
Industrials
Industry
Household & Personal Products
n/a
HQ country
JP
FI
Primary segment
Hygiene Living Care Business
New Building Solutions
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Weak
Moat score
60 / 100
63 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply
Supply, Financial, Demand, Legal
Last update
2025-12-28
2026-01-02

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Service Field NetworkCapex Knowhow Scale

Kao Corporation strengths

Brand TrustTraining Org Change CostsDesign In Qualification

KONE Oyj strengths

Negative Working CapitalInstalled Base ConsumablesSwitching Costs GeneralData Workflow LockinOperational ExcellenceCompliance Advantage

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%

KONE Oyj segments

Full profile >

New Building Solutions

Oligopoly

40.6%

Service (maintenance & repairs)

Competitive

40.6%

Modernization

Competitive

18.8%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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

View the moat stocks list

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.