VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. vs Pool Corporation

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)$66.4B
Gross margin (TTM)27.8%
Operating margin (TTM)22%
Net margin (TTM)14.2%
SectorConsumer
IndustryTravel Lodging
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

Pool Corporation

POOL · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$8.8B
Gross margin (TTM)29.6%
Operating margin (TTM)11.1%
Net margin (TTM)7.8%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryIndustrial - Distribution
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
56/ 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 Pool Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View POOL analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. leads (72 / 100 vs 56 / 100 for Pool Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. has 2 segments (72.7% in Management and Franchise); Pool Corporation has 1 segment (100% in Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Weak.
  • Moat breadth: Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. has 5 moat types across 3 domains; Pool Corporation has 5 across 2.

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%

Pool Corporation

Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)

Market

Wholesale distribution of swimming pool, irrigation/landscape, and related outdoor living products

Geography

North America (majority), with operations in Europe and Australia

Customer

Pool builders/remodelers, pool service/repair professionals, specialty pool retailers, irrigation/landscape contractors, commercial pool operators

Role

Distributor / wholesaler

Revenue share

100%

Side-by-side metrics

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.
Pool Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
HLT - New York Stock Exchange
POOL - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$66.4B
$8.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
27.8%
29.6%
Operating margin (TTM)
22%
11.1%
Net margin (TTM)
14.2%
7.8%
Sector
Consumer
Industrials
Industry
Travel Lodging
Industrial - Distribution
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Management and Franchise
Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
13%-15% (implied)
n/a
HHI estimate
1,350
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Weak
Moat score
72 / 100
56 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand, Supply
Supply, Demand
Last update
2026-01-01
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Scale Economies Unit Cost

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. strengths

Two Sided NetworkLong Term ContractsBrand TrustEcosystem Complements

Pool Corporation strengths

Physical Network DensityScope EconomiesProcurement InertiaData Workflow Lockin

Segment mix

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. segments

Full profile >

Management and Franchise

Oligopoly

72.7%

Ownership

Competitive

27.3%

Pool Corporation segments

Full profile >

Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)

Competitive

100%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.