VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Monday, December 29, 2025

Stock Comparison

Kao Corporation vs PepsiCo, Inc.

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

PepsiCo, Inc.

PEP · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$199.4B
SectorConsumer
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-23
Moat score
72/ 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 PepsiCo, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View PEP analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: PepsiCo, Inc. leads (72 / 100 vs 60 / 100 for Kao Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Kao Corporation has 5 segments (33.5% in Hygiene Living Care Business); PepsiCo, Inc. has 7 segments (27% in Frito-Lay North America (FLNA)).
  • Moat breadth: Kao Corporation has 5 moat types across 2 domains; PepsiCo, Inc. has 4 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%

PepsiCo, Inc.

Frito-Lay North America (FLNA)

Market

Branded convenient foods (salty snacks, dips and adjacent categories)

Geography

United States and Canada

Customer

Retailers, convenience stores, foodservice

Role

Branded manufacturer + distributor (DSD/warehouse/distributor networks)

Revenue share

27%

Side-by-side metrics

Kao Corporation
PepsiCo, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
4452 - Tokyo Stock Exchange
PEP - Nasdaq Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$18.5B
$199.4B
Sector
Consumer
Consumer
HQ country
JP
US
Primary segment
Hygiene Living Care Business
Frito-Lay North America (FLNA)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
54%-58% (implied)
HHI estimate
n/a
3,530
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
60 / 100
72 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply
Supply, Demand
Last update
2025-12-28
2025-12-23

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand Trust

Kao Corporation strengths

Training Org Change CostsService Field NetworkCapex Knowhow ScaleDesign In Qualification

PepsiCo, Inc. strengths

Distribution ControlScale Economies Unit CostScope Economies

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%

PepsiCo, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Frito-Lay North America (FLNA)

Oligopoly

27%

Quaker Foods North America (QFNA)

Competitive

4.2%

PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA)

Oligopoly

19.9%

Latin America (LatAm)

Oligopoly

12.3%

Europe

Oligopoly

22.4%

Africa, Middle East and South Asia (AMESA)

Competitive

8.8%

Asia Pacific, Australia & New Zealand and China Region (APAC)

Competitive

5.5%

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.