VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

HCA Healthcare, Inc. vs InterContinental Hotels Group PLC

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

HCA Healthcare, Inc.

HCA · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$107.7B
Gross margin (TTM)15.6%
Operating margin (TTM)15.6%
Net margin (TTM)8.6%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryMedical - Care Facilities
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-01
Moat score
67/ 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 HCA Healthcare, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View HCA 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: HCA Healthcare, Inc. leads (67 / 100 vs 57 / 100 for InterContinental Hotels Group PLC).
  • Segment focus: HCA Healthcare, Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Hospitals and related healthcare entities); InterContinental Hotels Group PLC has 5 segments (36% in Fee business (franchise, management and ancillary fees)).
  • Moat breadth: HCA Healthcare, Inc. has 4 moat types across 3 domains; InterContinental Hotels Group PLC has 8 across 3.

Primary market context

HCA Healthcare, Inc.

Hospitals and related healthcare entities

Market

Acute care hospitals and outpatient healthcare services

Geography

United States (multi-state) and England (United Kingdom)

Customer

Patients and third-party payers

Role

Provider operator

Revenue share

100%

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

HCA Healthcare, Inc.
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC
Ticker / Exchange
HCA - New York Stock Exchange
IHG - London Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$107.7B
$18.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
15.6%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
15.6%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
8.6%
n/a
Sector
Healthcare
Consumer
Industry
Medical - Care Facilities
n/a
HQ country
US
GB
Primary segment
Hospitals and related healthcare entities
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
67 / 100
57 / 100
Moat domains
Legal, Supply, Demand
Demand, Supply, Network
Last update
2026-01-01
2026-01-10

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

HCA Healthcare, Inc. strengths

Permits Rights Of WayScope EconomiesPhysical Network DensitySwitching Costs General

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

HCA Healthcare, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Hospitals and related healthcare entities

Oligopoly

100%

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.

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.