VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

BAE Systems plc vs InterContinental Hotels Group PLC

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

BAE Systems plc

BA. · London Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$59.9B
Gross margin (TTM)8.6%
Operating margin (TTM)9.3%
Net margin (TTM)7.4%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryAerospace & Defense
CountryGB
Data as of2025-12-28
Moat score
75/ 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 BAE Systems plc's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View BA. analysis

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC

IHG · London Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$18.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorConsumer
Industry
CountryGB
Data as of2026-01-10
Moat score
57/ 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 InterContinental Hotels Group PLC's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View IHG analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: BAE Systems plc leads (75 / 100 vs 57 / 100 for InterContinental Hotels Group PLC).
  • Segment focus: BAE Systems plc has 5 segments (26.6% in Electronic Systems); InterContinental Hotels Group PLC has 5 segments (36% in Fee business (franchise, management and ancillary fees)).
  • Moat breadth: BAE Systems plc has 8 moat types across 3 domains; InterContinental Hotels Group PLC has 8 across 3.

Primary market context

BAE Systems plc

Electronic Systems

Market

Defence electronics (electronic warfare, avionics, C4ISR, space payloads and mission systems)

Geography

Primarily US and UK; global programmes

Customer

Government defence and intelligence agencies; prime contractors

Role

Subsystem OEM and prime contractor for electronics/mission systems

Revenue share

26.6%

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC

Fee business (franchise, management and ancillary fees)

Market

Branded hotel franchising and management services

Geography

Global

Customer

Hotel owners and developers

Role

Franchisor and hotel manager (asset-light brand platform)

Revenue share

36%

Side-by-side metrics

BAE Systems plc
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC
Ticker / Exchange
BA. - London Stock Exchange
IHG - London Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$59.9B
$18.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
8.6%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
9.3%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
7.4%
n/a
Sector
Industrials
Consumer
Industry
Aerospace & Defense
n/a
HQ country
GB
GB
Primary segment
Electronic Systems
Fee business (franchise, management and ancillary fees)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
75 / 100
57 / 100
Moat domains
Legal, Demand, Supply
Demand, Supply, Network
Last update
2025-12-28
2026-01-10

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Long Term Contracts

BAE Systems plc strengths

Government Contracting RelationshipsDesign In QualificationCompliance AdvantageService Field NetworkCapex Knowhow ScaleCapacity MoatSwitching Costs General

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC strengths

Brand TrustScale Economies Unit CostTwo Sided NetworkDistribution ControlPass-through reimbursement revenueAsset-heavy hotel operations (limited moat)Immaterial ancillary activity

Segment mix

BAE Systems plc segments

Full profile >

Electronic Systems

Oligopoly

26.6%

Platforms & Services

Oligopoly

16.3%

Air

Oligopoly

26%

Maritime

Oligopoly

22.5%

Cyber & Intelligence

Competitive

8.6%

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC segments

Full profile >

Fee business (franchise, management and ancillary fees)

Oligopoly

36%

System Fund (marketing, reservations and loyalty assessments)

Monopoly

32.7%

Reimbursable revenues (managed hotel staff reimbursements)

Competitive

20.3%

Owned, leased and managed lease hotels

Competitive

10.5%

Insurance activities (ancillary)

Competitive

0.5%

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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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.