VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

Pool Corporation vs UnitedHealth Group Incorporated

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

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

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated

UNH · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$309.8B
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 56 / 100 for Pool Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Pool Corporation has 1 segment (100% in Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)); UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has 4 segments (74.9% in UnitedHealthcare).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Weak vs Weak.
  • Moat breadth: Pool Corporation has 5 moat types across 2 domains; UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has 5 across 2.

Primary market context

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%

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

Pool Corporation
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated
Ticker / Exchange
POOL - NASDAQ
UNH - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$8.8B
$309.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
29.6%
19.7%
Operating margin (TTM)
11.1%
6.1%
Net margin (TTM)
7.8%
4%
Sector
Industrials
Healthcare
Industry
Industrial - Distribution
Medical - Healthcare Plans
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)
UnitedHealthcare
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Weak
Weak
Moat score
56 / 100
64 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Supply, Demand
Last update
2026-01-06
2025-12-31

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Scale Economies Unit CostData Workflow Lockin

Pool Corporation strengths

Physical Network DensityScope EconomiesProcurement Inertia

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated strengths

Suite BundlingOperational ExcellenceTraining Org Change Costs

Segment mix

Pool Corporation segments

Full profile >

Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)

Competitive

100%

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.