VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 1, 2026

Stock Comparison

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. vs MercadoLibre, Inc.

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

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.

HLT · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$66.8B
SectorConsumer
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-01
Moat score
72/ 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 Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View HLT analysis

MercadoLibre, Inc.

MELI · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)
SectorTechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-29
Moat score
73/ 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 MercadoLibre, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MELI analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: MercadoLibre, Inc. leads (73 / 100 vs 72 / 100 for Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. has 2 segments (72.7% in Management and Franchise); MercadoLibre, Inc. has 2 segments (58.5% in Commerce (Marketplace, logistics, ads, classifieds)).
  • Moat breadth: Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. has 5 moat types across 3 domains; MercadoLibre, Inc. has 6 across 4.

Primary market context

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.

Management and Franchise

Market

Hotel management, franchising and brand licensing

Geography

Global

Customer

Third-party hotel owners / franchisees and strategic partners

Role

Franchisor / manager / IP licensor

Revenue share

72.7%

MercadoLibre, Inc.

Commerce (Marketplace, logistics, ads, classifieds)

Market

Latin American e-commerce marketplace and commerce services (online marketplace, 1P retail, fulfillment/logistics, advertising)

Geography

Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and other countries)

Customer

Consumers (buyers) and merchants/brands (sellers), including MSMEs

Role

Marketplace operator + retailer + logistics orchestrator

Revenue share

58.5%

Side-by-side metrics

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.
MercadoLibre, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
HLT - New York Stock Exchange
MELI - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$66.8B
n/a
Sector
Consumer
Technology
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Management and Franchise
Commerce (Marketplace, logistics, ads, classifieds)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
13%-15% (implied)
n/a
HHI estimate
1,350
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
72 / 100
73 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand, Supply
Network, Supply, Demand, Legal
Last update
2026-01-01
2025-12-29

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Two Sided NetworkEcosystem Complements

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. strengths

Long Term ContractsScale Economies Unit CostBrand Trust

MercadoLibre, Inc. strengths

Distribution ControlSwitching Costs GeneralData Workflow LockinCompliance Advantage

Segment mix

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. segments

Full profile >

Management and Franchise

Oligopoly

72.7%

Ownership

Competitive

27.3%

MercadoLibre, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Commerce (Marketplace, logistics, ads, classifieds)

Oligopoly

58.5%

Fintech (Mercado Pago & credit)

Competitive

41.5%

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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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.