VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Stock Comparison

Pool Corporation vs Yum China Holdings, Inc.

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

Yum China Holdings, Inc.

YUMC · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$16.9B
Gross margin (TTM)17.2%
Operating margin (TTM)11.2%
Net margin (TTM)7.8%
SectorConsumer
IndustryRestaurants
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-28
Moat score
75/ 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 Yum China Holdings, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View YUMC analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Yum China Holdings, Inc. leads (75 / 100 vs 56 / 100 for Pool Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Pool Corporation has 1 segment (100% in Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)); Yum China Holdings, Inc. has 3 segments (75.3% in KFC).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Weak vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Pool Corporation has 5 moat types across 2 domains; Yum China Holdings, Inc. has 7 across 3.

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%

Yum China Holdings, Inc.

KFC

Market

Quick-service restaurants (QSR), chicken-focused, in China

Geography

China

Customer

Consumers (end-users) via dine-in, takeaway and delivery

Role

Brand owner/operator (company-owned + franchised restaurants)

Revenue share

75.3%

Side-by-side metrics

Pool Corporation
Yum China Holdings, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
POOL - NASDAQ
YUMC - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$8.8B
$16.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
29.6%
17.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
11.1%
11.2%
Net margin (TTM)
7.8%
7.8%
Sector
Industrials
Consumer
Industry
Industrial - Distribution
Restaurants
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)
KFC
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Weak
Moderate
Moat score
56 / 100
75 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Legal, Demand, Supply
Last update
2026-01-06
2025-12-28

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Physical Network DensityScope Economies

Pool Corporation strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostProcurement InertiaData Workflow Lockin

Yum China Holdings, Inc. strengths

Contractual ExclusivityBrand TrustSupply Chain ControlHabit DefaultOperational Excellence

Segment mix

Pool Corporation segments

Full profile >

Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)

Competitive

100%

Yum China Holdings, Inc. segments

Full profile >

KFC

Oligopoly

75.3%

Pizza Hut

Competitive

20%

All Other Segments (Emerging brands, delivery & e-commerce)

Competitive

1.6%

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.