VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

Linde plc vs Pool Corporation

Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.

Linde plc

LIN · Nasdaq Stock Market

Market cap (USD)$202.2B
Gross margin (TTM)40.5%
Operating margin (TTM)27.2%
Net margin (TTM)21.2%
SectorMaterials
IndustryChemicals - Specialty
CountryIE
Data as of2025-12-29
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 Linde plc's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View LIN analysis

Pool Corporation

POOL · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$8.8B
Gross margin (TTM)29.6%
Operating margin (TTM)11.1%
Net margin (TTM)7.8%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryIndustrial - Distribution
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
56/ 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 Pool Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View POOL analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Linde plc leads (72 / 100 vs 56 / 100 for Pool Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Linde plc has 4 segments (43.8% in Americas); Pool Corporation has 1 segment (100% in Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Weak.
  • Moat breadth: Linde plc has 5 moat types across 3 domains; Pool Corporation has 5 across 2.

Primary market context

Linde plc

Americas

Market

Industrial gases (Americas)

Geography

Americas

Customer

B2B + healthcare

Role

Producer, distributor, on-site plant owner/operator

Revenue share

43.8%

Pool Corporation

Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)

Market

Wholesale distribution of swimming pool, irrigation/landscape, and related outdoor living products

Geography

North America (majority), with operations in Europe and Australia

Customer

Pool builders/remodelers, pool service/repair professionals, specialty pool retailers, irrigation/landscape contractors, commercial pool operators

Role

Distributor / wholesaler

Revenue share

100%

Side-by-side metrics

Linde plc
Pool Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
LIN - Nasdaq Stock Market
POOL - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$202.2B
$8.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
40.5%
29.6%
Operating margin (TTM)
27.2%
11.1%
Net margin (TTM)
21.2%
7.8%
Sector
Materials
Industrials
Industry
Chemicals - Specialty
Industrial - Distribution
HQ country
IE
US
Primary segment
Americas
Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Weak
Moat score
72 / 100
56 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal
Supply, Demand
Last update
2025-12-29
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Physical Network DensityScale Economies Unit Cost

Linde plc strengths

Long Term ContractsCapex Knowhow ScaleIP Choke Point

Pool Corporation strengths

Scope EconomiesProcurement InertiaData Workflow Lockin

Segment mix

Linde plc segments

Full profile >

Americas

Oligopoly

43.8%

EMEA

Oligopoly

25.3%

APAC

Oligopoly

20.1%

Engineering

Competitive

7%

Pool Corporation segments

Full profile >

Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)

Competitive

100%

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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.