VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Wide Moat Stocks Expansion-Stage Stocks Home My Collections

Stock Comparison

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC vs Judges Scientific plc

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

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

Judges Scientific plc

JDG · London Stock Exchange - AIM

Market cap (USD)$384.2M

Gross margin (TTM)31.8%

Operating margin (TTM)16.3%

Net margin (TTM)9.3%

SectorTechnology

IndustryHardware, Equipment & Parts

CountryGB

Data as of2026-01-06

Moat score

63/ 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 Judges Scientific plc's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View JDG analysis

Comparison highlights

Moat score gap: Judges Scientific plc leads (63 / 100 vs 57 / 100 for InterContinental Hotels Group PLC).
Segment focus: InterContinental Hotels Group PLC has 5 segments (36% in Fee business (franchise, management and ancillary fees)); Judges Scientific plc has 2 segments (51.7% in Vacuum).
Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
Moat breadth: InterContinental Hotels Group PLC has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Judges Scientific plc has 3 across 1.

Primary market context

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%

Judges Scientific plc

Vacuum

Market

Vacuum and surface-science related instrumentation (e.g., UHV/vacuum components and systems, thin-film/surface engineering adjacent tools)

Geography

Global

Customer

Research labs and high-tech manufacturing

Role

Equipment manufacturer

Revenue share

51.7%

Side-by-side metrics

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC

Judges Scientific plc

Ticker / Exchange

IHG - London Stock Exchange

JDG - London Stock Exchange - AIM

Market cap (USD)

$18.8B

$384.2M

Gross margin (TTM)

n/a

31.8%

Operating margin (TTM)

n/a

16.3%

Net margin (TTM)

n/a

9.3%

Sector

Consumer

Technology

Industry

n/a

Hardware, Equipment & Parts

HQ country

Primary segment

Fee business (franchise, management and ancillary fees)

Vacuum

Market structure

Oligopoly

Competitive

Market share

n/a

HHI estimate

n/a

Pricing power

Moderate

Moat score

57 / 100

63 / 100

Moat domains

Demand, Supply, Network

Demand

Last update

2026-01-10

2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand Trust

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC strengths

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

Judges Scientific plc strengths

Switching Costs GeneralBuy-and-build acquisition engine

Segment mix

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%

Judges Scientific plc segments

Full profile >

Materials Sciences

Competitive

48.4%

Vacuum

Competitive

51.7%

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.