VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Air Liquide S.A. vs Booking Holdings Inc.

Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.

Air Liquide S.A.

AI · Euronext Paris

Market cap (USD)$91.6B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorMaterials
IndustryChemicals - Specialty
CountryFR
Data as of2026-01-08
Moat score
58/ 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 Air Liquide S.A.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View AI analysis

Booking Holdings Inc.

BKNG · NASDAQ Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$177B
Gross margin (TTM)100%
Operating margin (TTM)32.7%
Net margin (TTM)19.4%
SectorConsumer
IndustryTravel Services
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-25
Moat score
77/ 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 Booking Holdings Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View BKNG analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Booking Holdings Inc. leads (77 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Air Liquide S.A.).
  • Segment focus: Air Liquide S.A. has 6 segments (44% in Industrial Merchant); Booking Holdings Inc. has 2 segments (95.5% in OTC online travel reservations (Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda)).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Air Liquide S.A. has 12 moat types across 3 domains; Booking Holdings Inc. has 5 across 4.

Primary market context

Air Liquide S.A.

Industrial Merchant

Market

Merchant industrial and medical gases distribution (cylinders, bulk liquids) plus related equipment and services

Geography

Global (local/regional distribution markets)

Customer

SMEs and mid-market industrial customers, contractors, labs, and public sector buyers

Role

Distributor + producer (last-mile logistics, cylinder assets, bulk delivery)

Revenue share

44%

Booking Holdings Inc.

OTC online travel reservations (Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda)

Market

Online travel agency (OTA) reservation platforms

Geography

Global

Customer

Two-sided: travelers (B2C) and travel service providers (B2B)

Role

Intermediary / marketplace

Revenue share

95.5%

Side-by-side metrics

Air Liquide S.A.
Booking Holdings Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
AI - Euronext Paris
BKNG - NASDAQ Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$91.6B
$177B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
100%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
32.7%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
19.4%
Sector
Materials
Consumer
Industry
Chemicals - Specialty
Travel Services
HQ country
FR
US
Primary segment
Industrial Merchant
OTC online travel reservations (Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda)
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
23%-31% (implied)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
58 / 100
77 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal
Network, Demand, Supply, Financial
Last update
2026-01-08
2025-12-25

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Scope Economies

Air Liquide S.A. strengths

Long Term ContractsPhysical Network DensityScale Economies Unit CostDistribution ControlOperational ExcellenceService Field NetworkCompliance AdvantageDesign In QualificationSupply Chain ControlIP Choke PointCapex Knowhow Scale

Booking Holdings Inc. strengths

Two Sided NetworkBrand TrustHabit DefaultFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

Air Liquide S.A. segments

Full profile >

Large Industries

Oligopoly

26%

Industrial Merchant

Competitive

44%

Healthcare

Competitive

16%

Electronics

Oligopoly

9%

Engineering & Construction

Competitive

2%

Global Markets & Technologies

Competitive

3%

Booking Holdings Inc. segments

Full profile >

OTC online travel reservations (Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda)

Oligopoly

95.5%

Metasearch & restaurant reservations (KAYAK, OpenTable)

Competitive

4.5%

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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Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

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.