VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

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Sunday, January 11, 2026

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Stock Comparison

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC vs Monster Beverage Corporation

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

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 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)); Monster Beverage Corporation has 4 segments (91.6% in Monster Energy Drinks).
  • Moat breadth: InterContinental Hotels Group PLC has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Monster Beverage Corporation has 5 across 3.

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%

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

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC
Monster Beverage Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
IHG - London Stock Exchange
MNST - Nasdaq Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$18.8B
$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
GB
US
Primary segment
Fee business (franchise, management and ancillary fees)
Monster Energy Drinks
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
33%-35% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
57 / 100
76 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Network
Supply, Demand, Legal
Last update
2026-01-10
2025-12-31

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustDistribution Control

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC strengths

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

Monster Beverage Corporation strengths

Preferential Input AccessContractual ExclusivitySpecialty flavor formulations (AFF)

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%

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%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.