VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

Ecolab Inc. vs Yum China Holdings, Inc.

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

Ecolab Inc.

ECL · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)44.3%
Operating margin (TTM)17.3%
Net margin (TTM)12.5%
SectorMaterials
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-01
Moat score
63/ 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 Ecolab Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ECL analysis

Yum China Holdings, Inc.

YUMC · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)17.2%
Operating margin (TTM)11.2%
Net margin (TTM)7.8%
SectorConsumer
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: Yum China Holdings, Inc. leads (75 / 100 vs 63 / 100 for Ecolab Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Ecolab Inc. has 4 segments (49.5% in Global Industrial); Yum China Holdings, Inc. has 3 segments (75.3% in KFC).
  • Moat breadth: Ecolab Inc. has 7 moat types across 3 domains; Yum China Holdings, Inc. has 7 across 3.

Primary market context

Ecolab Inc.

Global Industrial

Market

Industrial water treatment & process chemistry (incl. food & beverage processing and pulp & paper process aids)

Geography

Global

Customer

B2B

Role

formulator + on-site service/optimization provider

Revenue share

49.5%

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

Ecolab Inc.
Yum China Holdings, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ECL - New York Stock Exchange
YUMC - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
n/a
n/a
Gross margin (TTM)
44.3%
17.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
17.3%
11.2%
Net margin (TTM)
12.5%
7.8%
Sector
Materials
Consumer
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Global Industrial
KFC
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
63 / 100
75 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Legal
Legal, Demand, Supply
Last update
2026-01-01
2025-12-28

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand Trust

Ecolab Inc. strengths

Service Field NetworkData Workflow LockinCompliance AdvantageInstalled Base ConsumablesLong Term ContractsTraining Org Change Costs

Yum China Holdings, Inc. strengths

Contractual ExclusivityPhysical Network DensitySupply Chain ControlHabit DefaultOperational ExcellenceScope Economies

Segment mix

Ecolab Inc. segments

Full profile >

Global Industrial

Oligopoly

49.5%

Global Institutional & Specialty

Oligopoly

34.1%

Global Healthcare & Life Sciences

Oligopoly

9%

Global Pest Elimination

Oligopoly

7.4%

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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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.