VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Stock Comparison

Hormel Foods Corporation vs Monster Beverage Corporation

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

Hormel Foods Corporation

HRL · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$12.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorConsumer
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-11
Moat score
58/ 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 Hormel Foods Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View HRL analysis

Monster Beverage Corporation

MNST · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$75.6B
Gross margin (TTM)55.8%
Operating margin (TTM)28.3%
Net margin (TTM)21.7%
SectorConsumer
IndustryBeverages - Non-Alcoholic
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
Moat score
76/ 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 Monster Beverage Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MNST analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Monster Beverage Corporation leads (76 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Hormel Foods Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Hormel Foods Corporation has 3 segments (61.6% in Retail); Monster Beverage Corporation has 4 segments (91.6% in Monster Energy Drinks).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Hormel Foods Corporation has 4 moat types across 2 domains; Monster Beverage Corporation has 5 across 3.

Primary market context

Hormel Foods Corporation

Retail

Market

U.S. branded packaged foods sold through retail channels (grocery, mass, club, natural, drug, dollar/discount, e-commerce)

Geography

United States

Customer

Retailers and e-commerce platforms (sell-through to consumers)

Role

Branded manufacturer / marketer

Revenue share

61.6%

Monster Beverage Corporation

Monster Energy Drinks

Market

Energy drinks

Geography

Global

Customer

Retail consumers (via bottlers/distributors and retailers); some direct-to-retail

Role

Brand owner, marketer, and RTD finished-goods seller

Revenue share

91.6%

Side-by-side metrics

Hormel Foods Corporation
Monster Beverage Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
HRL - New York Stock Exchange
MNST - Nasdaq Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$12.8B
$75.6B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
55.8%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
28.3%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
21.7%
Sector
Consumer
Consumer
Industry
n/a
Beverages - Non-Alcoholic
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Retail
Monster Energy Drinks
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
33%-35% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
58 / 100
76 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply
Supply, Demand, Legal
Last update
2026-01-11
2025-12-31

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustDistribution Control

Hormel Foods Corporation strengths

Scope EconomiesService Field Network

Monster Beverage Corporation strengths

Preferential Input AccessContractual ExclusivitySpecialty flavor formulations (AFF)

Segment mix

Hormel Foods Corporation segments

Full profile >

Retail

Competitive

61.6%

Foodservice

Competitive

32.6%

International

Competitive

5.9%

Monster Beverage Corporation segments

Full profile >

Monster Energy Drinks

Oligopoly

91.6%

Strategic Brands

Oligopoly

5.8%

Alcohol Brands

Competitive

2.3%

Other (AFF Third-Party Products)

Competitive

0.3%

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Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

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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.