VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Equifax Inc. vs InterContinental Hotels Group PLC

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

Equifax Inc.

EFX · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$28.1B
Gross margin (TTM)56.3%
Operating margin (TTM)18.5%
Net margin (TTM)11.1%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryConsulting Services
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-26
Moat score
70/ 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 Equifax Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View EFX 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: Equifax Inc. leads (70 / 100 vs 57 / 100 for InterContinental Hotels Group PLC).
  • Segment focus: Equifax Inc. has 3 segments (42.8% in Workforce Solutions); InterContinental Hotels Group PLC has 5 segments (36% in Fee business (franchise, management and ancillary fees)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Equifax Inc. has 3 moat types across 3 domains; InterContinental Hotels Group PLC has 8 across 3.

Primary market context

Equifax Inc.

Workforce Solutions

Market

Income & employment verification and employer HR compliance services

Geography

Primarily U.S. (with smaller international offerings)

Customer

Employers, lenders, government agencies, and credentialed verifiers

Role

Payroll-fed data & verification intermediary

Revenue share

42.8%

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

Equifax Inc.
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC
Ticker / Exchange
EFX - New York Stock Exchange
IHG - London Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$28.1B
$18.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
56.3%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
18.5%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
11.1%
n/a
Sector
Industrials
Consumer
Industry
Consulting Services
n/a
HQ country
US
GB
Primary segment
Workforce Solutions
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
Strong
Moderate
Moat score
70 / 100
57 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand, Legal
Demand, Supply, Network
Last update
2025-12-26
2026-01-10

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Equifax Inc. strengths

Data Network EffectsData Workflow LockinCompliance Advantage

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC strengths

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

Segment mix

Equifax Inc. segments

Full profile >

Workforce Solutions

Oligopoly

42.8%

U.S. Information Solutions

Oligopoly

33.3%

International

Competitive

23.8%

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.