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 Walmart 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

Walmart Inc.

WMT · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$913.1B
Gross margin (TTM)24.9%
Operating margin (TTM)4.1%
Net margin (TTM)3.3%
SectorConsumer
IndustryDiscount Stores
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
77/ 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 Walmart Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View WMT analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Walmart Inc. leads (77 / 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)); Walmart Inc. has 3 segments (68.3% in Walmart U.S.).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Weak.
  • Moat breadth: InterContinental Hotels Group PLC has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Walmart Inc. has 6 across 4.

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%

Walmart Inc.

Walmart U.S.

Market

U.S. omnichannel discount retail and grocery (supercenters, neighborhood markets, eCommerce)

Geography

United States

Customer

Consumers and small businesses; marketplace sellers and advertisers (for marketplace and retail media offerings)

Role

Retailer / marketplace operator / last-mile fulfillment network

Revenue share

68.3%

Side-by-side metrics

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC
Walmart Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
IHG - London Stock Exchange
WMT - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$18.8B
$913.1B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
24.9%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
4.1%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
3.3%
Sector
Consumer
Consumer
Industry
n/a
Discount Stores
HQ country
GB
US
Primary segment
Fee business (franchise, management and ancillary fees)
Walmart U.S.
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
20%-22% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Weak
Moat score
57 / 100
77 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Network
Supply, Demand, Network, Financial
Last update
2026-01-10
2025-12-30

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

Walmart Inc. strengths

Physical Network DensityHabit DefaultSupply Chain ControlEcosystem ComplementsFloat Prepayment

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%

Walmart Inc. segments

Full profile >

Walmart U.S.

Competitive

68.3%

Walmart International

Competitive

18.1%

Sam's Club U.S.

Oligopoly

13.6%

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.