VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Alcon Inc. vs CME Group Inc.

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

Alcon Inc.

ALC · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$39.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorHealthcare
Industry
CountryCH
Data as of2026-01-10
Moat score
71/ 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 Alcon Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ALC analysis

CME Group Inc.

CME · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$94.6B
Gross margin (TTM)86.1%
Operating margin (TTM)65%
Net margin (TTM)58.6%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Data & Stock Exchanges
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
81/ 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 CME Group Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CME analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: CME Group Inc. leads (81 / 100 vs 71 / 100 for Alcon Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Alcon Inc. has 2 segments (56% in Surgical); CME Group Inc. has 3 segments (81.4% in Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)).
  • Moat breadth: Alcon Inc. has 7 moat types across 3 domains; CME Group Inc. has 10 across 5.

Primary market context

Alcon Inc.

Surgical

Market

Ophthalmic surgical devices (implantables, consumables, equipment) and related service/training

Geography

Global

Customer

Ophthalmic surgeons, hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, group purchasing organizations

Role

Medical device OEM with direct service, clinical support, and training

Revenue share

56%

CME Group Inc.

Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)

Market

Exchange-traded derivatives (futures and options) trading and central counterparty clearing; plus electronic cash markets matching (U.S. Treasuries/repo, spot FX) tied to CME platforms

Geography

Global (core U.S. footprint with international participation)

Customer

Institutional and professional traders; commercial hedgers; banks; broker-dealers; futures commission merchants (FCMs); asset managers; proprietary trading firms; governments and central banks

Role

Market operator (exchange/venue) + central counterparty clearing provider

Revenue share

81.4%

Side-by-side metrics

Alcon Inc.
CME Group Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ALC - New York Stock Exchange
CME - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$39.8B
$94.6B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
86.1%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
65%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
58.6%
Sector
Healthcare
Financials
Industry
n/a
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
HQ country
CH
US
Primary segment
Surgical
Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
40%-46% (implied)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
71 / 100
81 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal
Network, Legal, Supply, Financial, Demand
Last update
2026-01-10
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Alcon Inc. strengths

Installed Base ConsumablesSuite BundlingService Field NetworkCompliance AdvantageBrand TrustProcurement InertiaCapex Knowhow Scale

CME Group Inc. strengths

Two Sided NetworkClearing SettlementConcession LicenseScale Economies Unit CostBenchmark Pricing PowerIP Choke PointData Workflow LockinDe Facto StandardDistribution ControlSwitching Costs General

Segment mix

Alcon Inc. segments

Full profile >

Surgical

Oligopoly

56%

Vision Care

Oligopoly

44%

CME Group Inc. segments

Full profile >

Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)

Oligopoly

81.4%

Market Data and Information Services

Monopoly

11.6%

Access, Connectivity and Other Exchange Services

Monopoly

7%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

View the moat stocks list

Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

View expansion-stage stocks

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.