VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

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Sunday, January 11, 2026

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Stock Comparison

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC vs United Parcel Service, 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

United Parcel Service, Inc.

UPS · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$91.7B
Gross margin (TTM)18.1%
Operating margin (TTM)9.3%
Net margin (TTM)6.2%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryIntegrated Freight & Logistics
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-22
Moat score
72/ 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 United Parcel Service, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View UPS analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: United Parcel Service, Inc. leads (72 / 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)); United Parcel Service, Inc. has 3 segments (66.3% in U.S. Domestic Package).
  • Moat breadth: InterContinental Hotels Group PLC has 8 moat types across 3 domains; United Parcel Service, 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%

United Parcel Service, Inc.

U.S. Domestic Package

Market

U.S. small parcel and time-definite package delivery

Geography

United States

Customer

B2B and B2C shippers (including e-commerce)

Role

Integrated parcel carrier (pickup, sort, linehaul, last-mile)

Revenue share

66.3%

Side-by-side metrics

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC
United Parcel Service, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
IHG - London Stock Exchange
UPS - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$18.8B
$91.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
18.1%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
9.3%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
6.2%
Sector
Consumer
Industrials
Industry
n/a
Integrated Freight & Logistics
HQ country
GB
US
Primary segment
Fee business (franchise, management and ancillary fees)
U.S. Domestic Package
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
34.3% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
2,639
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
57 / 100
72 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Network
Supply, Financial, Demand
Last update
2026-01-10
2025-12-22

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustScale Economies Unit Cost

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC strengths

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

United Parcel Service, Inc. strengths

Physical Network DensityBenchmark Pricing PowerData Workflow LockinService Field NetworkOperational ExcellenceScope Economies

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%

United Parcel Service, Inc. segments

Full profile >

U.S. Domestic Package

Oligopoly

66.3%

International Package

Oligopoly

19.7%

Supply Chain Solutions

Competitive

14%

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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Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

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.