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 Melrose Industries 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

Melrose Industries PLC

MRO · London Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$7.9B

Gross margin (TTM)21.4%

Operating margin (TTM)7.6%

Net margin (TTM)4%

SectorIndustrials

IndustryIndustrial - Machinery

CountryGB

Data as of2025-12-28

Moat score

77/ 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 Melrose Industries PLC's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MRO analysis

Comparison highlights

Moat score gap: Melrose Industries PLC leads (77 / 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)); Melrose Industries PLC has 2 segments (57.9% in Structures).
Moat breadth: InterContinental Hotels Group PLC has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Melrose Industries PLC has 5 across 2.

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%

Melrose Industries PLC

Structures

Market

Aerostructures and aircraft electrical wiring systems (EWIS)

Geography

Global

Customer

Airframe OEMs; defence primes

Role

Tier-1 aerospace supplier

Revenue share

57.9%

Side-by-side metrics

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC

Melrose Industries PLC

Ticker / Exchange

IHG - London Stock Exchange

MRO - London Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)

$18.8B

$7.9B

Gross margin (TTM)

n/a

21.4%

Operating margin (TTM)

n/a

7.6%

Net margin (TTM)

n/a

Sector

Consumer

Industrials

Industry

n/a

Industrial - Machinery

HQ country

Primary segment

Fee business (franchise, management and ancillary fees)

Structures

Market structure

Oligopoly

Market share

n/a

HHI estimate

n/a

Pricing power

Moderate

Moat score

57 / 100

77 / 100

Moat domains

Demand, Supply, Network

Demand, Supply

Last update

2026-01-10

2025-12-28

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Long Term Contracts

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC strengths

Brand TrustScale Economies Unit CostTwo Sided NetworkDistribution ControlPass-through reimbursement revenueAsset-heavy hotel operations (limited moat)Immaterial ancillary activity

Melrose Industries PLC strengths

Design In QualificationCapex Knowhow ScaleService Field NetworkCapacity Moat

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%

Melrose Industries PLC segments

Full profile >

Engines

Oligopoly

42.1%

Structures

Oligopoly

57.9%

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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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.