VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC vs Pool 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

Pool Corporation

POOL · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$9.4B
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: InterContinental Hotels Group PLC leads (57 / 100 vs 56 / 100 for Pool Corporation).
  • Segment focus: InterContinental Hotels Group PLC has 5 segments (36% in Fee business (franchise, management and ancillary fees)); 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: InterContinental Hotels Group PLC has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Pool Corporation 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%

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

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC
Pool Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
IHG - London Stock Exchange
POOL - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$18.8B
$9.4B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
29.6%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
11.1%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
7.8%
Sector
Consumer
Industrials
Industry
n/a
Industrial - Distribution
HQ country
GB
US
Primary segment
Fee business (franchise, management and ancillary fees)
Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Weak
Moat score
57 / 100
56 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Network
Supply, Demand
Last update
2026-01-10
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Scale Economies Unit Cost

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC strengths

Brand TrustLong Term ContractsTwo Sided NetworkDistribution ControlPass-through reimbursement revenueAsset-heavy hotel operations (limited moat)Immaterial ancillary activity

Pool Corporation strengths

Physical Network DensityScope EconomiesProcurement InertiaData Workflow Lockin

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%

Pool Corporation segments

Full profile >

Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)

Competitive

100%

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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.