VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. vs InterContinental Hotels Group PLC

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

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

BRK.B · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$1.1T
Gross margin (TTM)28.7%
Operating margin (TTM)15.8%
Net margin (TTM)17.8%
SectorFinancials
IndustryInsurance - Diversified
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
64/ 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 Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View BRK.B 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: Berkshire Hathaway Inc. leads (64 / 100 vs 57 / 100 for InterContinental Hotels Group PLC).
  • Segment focus: Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has 11 segments (28.3% in Insurance (underwriting + investment income)); InterContinental Hotels Group PLC has 5 segments (36% in Fee business (franchise, management and ancillary fees)).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: n/a vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has 17 moat types across 4 domains; InterContinental Hotels Group PLC has 8 across 3.

Primary market context

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

Insurance (underwriting + investment income)

Market

Insurance and reinsurance (property and casualty + life/health), including float-funded investing

Geography

Global

Customer

Consumers and businesses (policyholders) and insurers (reinsurance cedents)

Role

Underwriter and reinsurer plus investment manager of float

Revenue share

28.3%

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

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC
Ticker / Exchange
BRK.B - New York Stock Exchange
IHG - London Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$1.1T
$18.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
28.7%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
15.8%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
17.8%
n/a
Sector
Financials
Consumer
Industry
Insurance - Diversified
n/a
HQ country
US
GB
Primary segment
Insurance (underwriting + investment income)
Fee business (franchise, management and ancillary fees)
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
n/a
Moderate
Moat score
64 / 100
57 / 100
Moat domains
Financial, Supply, Demand, Legal
Demand, Supply, Network
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-10

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustLong Term ContractsScale Economies Unit CostDistribution Control

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. strengths

Float PrepaymentCapacity MoatPhysical Network DensityConcession LicensePermits Rights Of WayDesign In QualificationCapex Knowhow ScaleIP Choke PointTraining Org Change CostsPreferential Input AccessService Field NetworkScope EconomiesCost Of Capital Advantage

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC strengths

Two Sided NetworkPass-through reimbursement revenueAsset-heavy hotel operations (limited moat)Immaterial ancillary activity

Segment mix

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. segments

Full profile >

Insurance (underwriting + investment income)

Competitive

28.3%

BNSF Railway (freight rail transportation)

Oligopoly

6.4%

Berkshire Hathaway Energy (regulated utilities, pipelines, renewables)

Monopoly

7.1%

Industrial products manufacturing (PCC, Lubrizol, IMC, Marmon, etc.)

Oligopoly

9.7%

Building products & housing (Clayton Homes, Shaw, Johns Manville, Benjamin Moore, etc.)

Competitive

7.2%

Consumer products manufacturing (Duracell, Forest River, apparel/footwear, toys, etc.)

Competitive

4%

Service businesses (FlightSafety, NetJets, TTI, Dairy Queen, etc.)

Competitive

5.6%

Retailing businesses (Berkshire Hathaway Automotive, home furnishings, jewelry, See's, etc.)

Competitive

5.2%

Pilot Travel Centers (travel centers + wholesale fuel marketing)

Oligopoly

12.6%

McLane (wholesale distribution to convenience stores and restaurants)

Oligopoly

14%

Holding company capital allocation and investing

Competitive

n/a

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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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.