VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC vs Sea Limited

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

Sea Limited

SE · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$79B
Gross margin (TTM)44.9%
Operating margin (TTM)8.2%
Net margin (TTM)6.8%
SectorConsumer
IndustrySpecialty Retail
CountrySG
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
69/ 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 Sea Limited's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View SE analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Sea Limited leads (69 / 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)); Sea Limited has 3 segments (73.8% in Shopee (E-commerce)).
  • Moat breadth: InterContinental Hotels Group PLC has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Sea Limited has 6 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%

Sea Limited

Shopee (E-commerce)

Market

E-commerce marketplace and related value-added services

Geography

Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Brazil

Customer

Consumers and sellers

Role

Marketplace operator

Revenue share

73.8%

Side-by-side metrics

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC
Sea Limited
Ticker / Exchange
IHG - London Stock Exchange
SE - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$18.8B
$79B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
44.9%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
8.2%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
6.8%
Sector
Consumer
Consumer
Industry
n/a
Specialty Retail
HQ country
GB
SG
Primary segment
Fee business (franchise, management and ancillary fees)
Shopee (E-commerce)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
52% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
57 / 100
69 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Network
Network, Supply, Legal
Last update
2026-01-10
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Two Sided NetworkDistribution Control

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC strengths

Brand TrustScale Economies Unit CostLong Term ContractsPass-through reimbursement revenueAsset-heavy hotel operations (limited moat)Immaterial ancillary activity

Sea Limited strengths

Ecosystem ComplementsRegulated Standards PipeDirect Network EffectsContractual Exclusivity

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%

Sea Limited segments

Full profile >

Shopee (E-commerce)

Oligopoly

73.8%

SeaMoney (Digital Financial Services)

Competitive

14.1%

Garena (Digital Entertainment)

Competitive

11.4%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.