VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Stock Comparison

Cochlear Limited vs Yum China Holdings, Inc.

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

Cochlear Limited

COH · ASX

Market cap (USD)$17B
Gross margin (TTM)74.5%
Operating margin (TTM)22.7%
Net margin (TTM)16.2%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryMedical - Devices
CountryAU
Data as of2026-01-04
Moat score
81/ 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 Cochlear Limited's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View COH analysis

Yum China Holdings, Inc.

YUMC · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$16.9B
Gross margin (TTM)17.2%
Operating margin (TTM)11.2%
Net margin (TTM)7.8%
SectorConsumer
IndustryRestaurants
CountryUS
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 Yum China Holdings, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View YUMC analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Cochlear Limited leads (81 / 100 vs 75 / 100 for Yum China Holdings, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Cochlear Limited has 3 segments (62.4% in Cochlear Implants); Yum China Holdings, Inc. has 3 segments (75.3% in KFC).
  • Moat breadth: Cochlear Limited has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Yum China Holdings, Inc. has 7 across 3.

Primary market context

Cochlear Limited

Cochlear Implants

Market

Cochlear implant systems (internal implant + external sound processors) for severe-to-profound hearing loss

Geography

Global

Customer

Hospitals/ENT clinics and audiology programs (providers) serving implant candidates/recipients; reimbursed by public/private payers

Role

Medical device OEM / platform owner (implant + processor + fitting software + clinical support)

Revenue share

62.4%

Yum China Holdings, Inc.

KFC

Market

Quick-service restaurants (QSR), chicken-focused, in China

Geography

China

Customer

Consumers (end-users) via dine-in, takeaway and delivery

Role

Brand owner/operator (company-owned + franchised restaurants)

Revenue share

75.3%

Side-by-side metrics

Cochlear Limited
Yum China Holdings, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
COH - ASX
YUMC - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$17B
$16.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
74.5%
17.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
22.7%
11.2%
Net margin (TTM)
16.2%
7.8%
Sector
Healthcare
Consumer
Industry
Medical - Devices
Restaurants
HQ country
AU
US
Primary segment
Cochlear Implants
KFC
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
60%-65% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
81 / 100
75 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Legal, Supply
Legal, Demand, Supply
Last update
2026-01-04
2025-12-28

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand Trust

Cochlear Limited strengths

Compliance AdvantageCapex Knowhow ScaleIP Choke PointService Field NetworkInstalled Base ConsumablesFormat Lock InData Workflow Lockin

Yum China Holdings, Inc. strengths

Contractual ExclusivityPhysical Network DensitySupply Chain ControlHabit DefaultOperational ExcellenceScope Economies

Segment mix

Cochlear Limited segments

Full profile >

Cochlear Implants

Oligopoly

62.4%

Services

Monopoly

25.9%

Acoustics

Oligopoly

11.7%

Yum China Holdings, Inc. segments

Full profile >

KFC

Oligopoly

75.3%

Pizza Hut

Competitive

20%

All Other Segments (Emerging brands, delivery & e-commerce)

Competitive

1.6%

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.