VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

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Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

British American Tobacco p.l.c. vs Pool Corporation

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

Pool Corporation

POOL · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$8.8B
Gross margin (TTM)29.6%
Operating margin (TTM)11.1%
Net margin (TTM)7.8%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryIndustrial - Distribution
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
56/ 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 Pool Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View POOL analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: British American Tobacco p.l.c. leads (71 / 100 vs 56 / 100 for Pool Corporation).
  • Segment focus: British American Tobacco p.l.c. has 6 segments (80% in Combustibles); Pool Corporation has 1 segment (100% in Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Strong vs Weak.
  • Moat breadth: British American Tobacco p.l.c. has 6 moat types across 3 domains; Pool Corporation has 5 across 2.

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%

Pool Corporation

Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)

Market

Wholesale distribution of swimming pool, irrigation/landscape, and related outdoor living products

Geography

North America (majority), with operations in Europe and Australia

Customer

Pool builders/remodelers, pool service/repair professionals, specialty pool retailers, irrigation/landscape contractors, commercial pool operators

Role

Distributor / wholesaler

Revenue share

100%

Side-by-side metrics

British American Tobacco p.l.c.
Pool Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
BATS - London Stock Exchange
POOL - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$88.2B
$8.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
73.3%
29.6%
Operating margin (TTM)
-24.7%
11.1%
Net margin (TTM)
-20.8%
7.8%
Sector
Consumer
Industrials
Industry
Tobacco
Industrial - Distribution
HQ country
GB
US
Primary segment
Combustibles
Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Weak
Moat score
71 / 100
56 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal
Supply, Demand
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

British American Tobacco p.l.c. strengths

Brand TrustDistribution ControlCompliance AdvantageInstalled Base ConsumablesOperational ExcellenceCapability adjacency

Pool Corporation strengths

Physical Network DensityScale Economies Unit CostScope EconomiesProcurement InertiaData Workflow Lockin

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%

Pool Corporation segments

Full profile >

Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)

Competitive

100%

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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.