VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

CSX Corporation vs InterContinental Hotels Group PLC

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

CSX Corporation

CSX · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$65.5B
Gross margin (TTM)36.6%
Operating margin (TTM)30.7%
Net margin (TTM)19.2%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryRailroads
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
74/ 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 CSX Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CSX 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: CSX Corporation leads (74 / 100 vs 57 / 100 for InterContinental Hotels Group PLC).
  • Segment focus: CSX Corporation has 5 segments (61.2% in Merchandise (Rail)); InterContinental Hotels Group PLC has 5 segments (36% in Fee business (franchise, management and ancillary fees)).
  • Moat breadth: CSX Corporation has 6 moat types across 2 domains; InterContinental Hotels Group PLC has 8 across 3.

Primary market context

CSX Corporation

Merchandise (Rail)

Market

Eastern U.S. rail freight transportation (merchandise carload)

Geography

Eastern United States (CSX network; interchange to other railroads)

Customer

Industrial, agricultural, automotive and consumer goods shippers; logistics providers

Role

Common-carrier freight railroad (line-haul + switching/terminal)

Revenue share

61.2%

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

CSX Corporation
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC
Ticker / Exchange
CSX - NASDAQ
IHG - London Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$65.5B
$18.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
36.6%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
30.7%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
19.2%
n/a
Sector
Industrials
Consumer
Industry
Railroads
n/a
HQ country
US
GB
Primary segment
Merchandise (Rail)
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
74 / 100
57 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Legal
Demand, Supply, Network
Last update
2026-01-02
2026-01-10

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Scale Economies Unit Cost

CSX Corporation strengths

Physical Network DensityPermits Rights Of WayCapex Knowhow ScaleOperational ExcellenceGeographic Natural

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC strengths

Brand TrustLong Term ContractsTwo Sided NetworkDistribution ControlPass-through reimbursement revenueAsset-heavy hotel operations (limited moat)Immaterial ancillary activity

Segment mix

CSX Corporation segments

Full profile >

Merchandise (Rail)

Oligopoly

61.2%

Intermodal (Rail)

Competitive

14.1%

Coal (Rail)

Oligopoly

15.5%

Trucking (Quality Carriers)

Competitive

5.8%

Other Revenue (Rail/Ancillary)

Competitive

3.4%

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.

View the moat stocks list

Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

View expansion-stage stocks

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.