VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC vs RELX 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

RELX PLC

REL · London Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$57.8B
Gross margin (TTM)64%
Operating margin (TTM)30.7%
Net margin (TTM)20.3%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryPublishing
CountryGB
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
78/ 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 RELX PLC's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View REL analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: RELX PLC leads (78 / 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)); RELX PLC has 4 segments (34.4% in Risk).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: InterContinental Hotels Group PLC has 8 moat types across 3 domains; RELX PLC has 8 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%

RELX PLC

Risk

Market

Risk analytics & decisioning platforms (fraud/identity, financial crime compliance, insurance underwriting/claims, industry data)

Geography

Global (largest in North America)

Customer

Enterprises (banks, insurers, digital commerce), governments, and other regulated industries

Role

Data/analytics provider and workflow platform

Revenue share

34.4%

Side-by-side metrics

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC
RELX PLC
Ticker / Exchange
IHG - London Stock Exchange
REL - London Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$18.8B
$57.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
64%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
30.7%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
20.3%
Sector
Consumer
Industrials
Industry
n/a
Publishing
HQ country
GB
GB
Primary segment
Fee business (franchise, management and ancillary fees)
Risk
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
57 / 100
78 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Network
Network, Demand, Legal
Last update
2026-01-10
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustTwo Sided Network

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC strengths

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

RELX PLC strengths

Data Network EffectsData Workflow LockinCompliance AdvantageContent Rights CurrencySuite BundlingReputation Reviews

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%

RELX PLC segments

Full profile >

Risk

Oligopoly

34.4%

Scientific, Technical & Medical

Oligopoly

32.3%

Legal

Oligopoly

20.1%

Exhibitions

Competitive

13.1%

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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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.