VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Stock Comparison

Kao Corporation vs Transurban Group

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

Transurban Group

TCL · Australian Securities Exchange

Market cap (USD)$42.6B
Gross margin (TTM)43.4%
Operating margin (TTM)39.4%
Net margin (TTM)5.8%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryIndustrial - Infrastructure Operations
CountryAU
Data as of2026-01-04
Moat score
91/ 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 Transurban Group's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View TCL analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Transurban Group leads (91 / 100 vs 60 / 100 for Kao Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Kao Corporation has 5 segments (33.5% in Hygiene Living Care Business); Transurban Group has 4 segments (49.5% in Sydney toll roads).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Quasi-Monopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Kao Corporation has 5 moat types across 2 domains; Transurban Group has 3 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%

Transurban Group

Sydney toll roads

Market

Urban toll-road concessions (Sydney)

Geography

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Customer

Motorists and commercial fleet operators

Role

Concessionaire / operator and developer

Revenue share

49.5%

Side-by-side metrics

Kao Corporation
Transurban Group
Ticker / Exchange
4452 - Tokyo Stock Exchange
TCL - Australian Securities Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$2.9T
$42.6B
Gross margin (TTM)
39.2%
43.4%
Operating margin (TTM)
9.5%
39.4%
Net margin (TTM)
7.3%
5.8%
Sector
Consumer
Industrials
Industry
Household & Personal Products
Industrial - Infrastructure Operations
HQ country
JP
AU
Primary segment
Hygiene Living Care Business
Sydney toll roads
Market structure
Oligopoly
Quasi-Monopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
60 / 100
91 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply
Legal, Financial, Demand
Last update
2025-12-28
2026-01-04

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Kao Corporation strengths

Brand TrustTraining Org Change CostsService Field NetworkCapex Knowhow ScaleDesign In Qualification

Transurban Group strengths

Concession LicenseBenchmark Pricing PowerDynamic congestion pricing

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%

Transurban Group segments

Full profile >

Sydney toll roads

Quasi-Monopoly

49.5%

Melbourne toll roads

Quasi-Monopoly

26.5%

Brisbane toll roads

Quasi-Monopoly

16%

North America managed lanes and concessions

Quasi-Monopoly

8.1%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

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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.