VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC vs Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

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

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

TMO · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$234.6B
Gross margin (TTM)39.8%
Operating margin (TTM)18.2%
Net margin (TTM)15%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryMedical - Diagnostics & Research
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-22
Moat score
64/ 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 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View TMO analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. leads (64 / 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)); Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has 4 segments (53.6% in Laboratory Products and Biopharma Services).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: InterContinental Hotels Group PLC has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 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%

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

Laboratory Products and Biopharma Services

Market

Laboratory supplies distribution/market channel plus outsourced biopharma services (CDMO/CRO)

Geography

Global

Customer

Pharma & biotech; academic/government labs; industrial and clinical laboratories

Role

Distributor/market channel and outsourced services provider

Revenue share

53.6%

Side-by-side metrics

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
IHG - London Stock Exchange
TMO - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$18.8B
$234.6B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
39.8%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
18.2%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
15%
Sector
Consumer
Healthcare
Industry
n/a
Medical - Diagnostics & Research
HQ country
GB
US
Primary segment
Fee business (franchise, management and ancillary fees)
Laboratory Products and Biopharma Services
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
57 / 100
64 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Network
Demand, Supply, Legal
Last update
2026-01-10
2025-12-22

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

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. strengths

Installed Base ConsumablesFormat Lock InService Field NetworkRegulated Standards PipeProcurement InertiaCapacity 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%

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. segments

Full profile >

Life Sciences Solutions

Oligopoly

19%

Analytical Instruments

Oligopoly

17%

Specialty Diagnostics

Oligopoly

10.4%

Laboratory Products and Biopharma Services

Competitive

53.6%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

View the moat stocks list

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.