VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

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Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

British American Tobacco p.l.c. vs InterContinental Hotels Group PLC

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

British American Tobacco p.l.c.

BATS · London Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$88.2B
Gross margin (TTM)73.3%
Operating margin (TTM)-24.7%
Net margin (TTM)-20.8%
SectorConsumer
IndustryTobacco
CountryGB
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
71/ 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 British American Tobacco p.l.c.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View BATS 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: British American Tobacco p.l.c. leads (71 / 100 vs 57 / 100 for InterContinental Hotels Group PLC).
  • Segment focus: British American Tobacco p.l.c. has 6 segments (80% in Combustibles); InterContinental Hotels Group PLC has 5 segments (36% in Fee business (franchise, management and ancillary fees)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: British American Tobacco p.l.c. has 6 moat types across 3 domains; InterContinental Hotels Group PLC has 8 across 3.

Primary market context

British American Tobacco p.l.c.

Combustibles

Market

Combustible tobacco (cigarettes and other combustible products)

Geography

Global

Customer

Adult nicotine consumers via retail/wholesale channels

Role

Manufacturer / brand owner

Revenue share

80%

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

British American Tobacco p.l.c.
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC
Ticker / Exchange
BATS - London Stock Exchange
IHG - London Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$88.2B
$18.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
73.3%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
-24.7%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
-20.8%
n/a
Sector
Consumer
Consumer
Industry
Tobacco
n/a
HQ country
GB
GB
Primary segment
Combustibles
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
Strong
Moderate
Moat score
71 / 100
57 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal
Demand, Supply, Network
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-10

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustDistribution Control

British American Tobacco p.l.c. strengths

Compliance AdvantageInstalled Base ConsumablesOperational ExcellenceCapability adjacency

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostLong Term ContractsTwo Sided NetworkPass-through reimbursement revenueAsset-heavy hotel operations (limited moat)Immaterial ancillary activity

Segment mix

British American Tobacco p.l.c. segments

Full profile >

Combustibles

Oligopoly

80%

Vapour

Competitive

6.7%

Heated Products

Oligopoly

3.6%

Modern Oral

Oligopoly

3.1%

Traditional Oral

Oligopoly

4.2%

Other

Competitive

2.5%

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?

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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.