VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC vs UnitedHealth Group Incorporated

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

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated

UNH · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$311.6B
Gross margin (TTM)19.7%
Operating margin (TTM)6.1%
Net margin (TTM)4%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryMedical - Healthcare Plans
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
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 UnitedHealth Group Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View UNH analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: UnitedHealth Group Incorporated 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)); UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has 4 segments (74.9% in UnitedHealthcare).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Weak.
  • Moat breadth: InterContinental Hotels Group PLC has 8 moat types across 3 domains; UnitedHealth Group Incorporated 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%

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated

UnitedHealthcare

Market

U.S. health benefits / managed care (commercial, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid managed care)

Geography

United States (primarily)

Customer

Employers, individuals, and government-sponsored programs

Role

Health insurer / managed care organization

Revenue share

74.9%

Side-by-side metrics

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
IHG - London Stock Exchange
UNH - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$18.8B
$311.6B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
19.7%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
6.1%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
4%
Sector
Consumer
Healthcare
Industry
n/a
Medical - Healthcare Plans
HQ country
GB
US
Primary segment
Fee business (franchise, management and ancillary fees)
UnitedHealthcare
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Weak
Moat score
57 / 100
64 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Network
Supply, Demand
Last update
2026-01-10
2025-12-31

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

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated strengths

Suite BundlingOperational ExcellenceData Workflow LockinTraining Org Change Costs

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%

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated segments

Full profile >

UnitedHealthcare

Oligopoly

74.9%

Optum Health

Competitive

9.9%

Optum Insight

Competitive

1.7%

Optum Rx

Oligopoly

13.5%

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.