VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. vs LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

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

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.

ATD · Toronto Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$70.7B
Gross margin (TTM)18.5%
Operating margin (TTM)5.3%
Net margin (TTM)3.6%
SectorConsumer
IndustrySpecialty Retail
CountryCA
Data as of2026-01-05
Moat score
58/ 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 Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ATD analysis

LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

LPLA · Nasdaq

Market cap (USD)$29.6B
Gross margin (TTM)24.1%
Operating margin (TTM)9.5%
Net margin (TTM)5.4%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Capital Markets
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-26
Moat score
79/ 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 LPL Financial Holdings Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View LPLA analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: LPL Financial Holdings Inc. leads (79 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. has 3 segments (74% in Road transportation fuel (retail fuel and related mobility services)); LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Advisor Platform).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Weak vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. has 5 moat types across 2 domains; LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has 6 across 4.

Primary market context

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.

Road transportation fuel (retail fuel and related mobility services)

Market

Road transportation fuel retail (gasoline/diesel) at convenience sites; includes unmanned/automated fuel stations

Geography

North America and Europe (plus select other regions via the network)

Customer

Consumers and small fleets

Role

Fuel retailer and site operator

Revenue share

74%

LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

Advisor Platform

Market

Advisor-mediated wealth management platform (independent broker-dealer + RIA custody/clearing)

Geography

United States

Customer

Financial advisors and financial institutions

Role

Platform / broker-dealer / custodian

Revenue share

100%

Side-by-side metrics

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.
LPL Financial Holdings Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ATD - Toronto Stock Exchange
LPLA - Nasdaq
Market cap (USD)
$70.7B
$29.6B
Gross margin (TTM)
18.5%
24.1%
Operating margin (TTM)
5.3%
9.5%
Net margin (TTM)
3.6%
5.4%
Sector
Consumer
Financials
Industry
Specialty Retail
Financial - Capital Markets
HQ country
CA
US
Primary segment
Road transportation fuel (retail fuel and related mobility services)
Advisor Platform
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
23%-25% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Weak
Moderate
Moat score
58 / 100
79 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Supply, Demand, Legal, Network
Last update
2026-01-05
2025-12-26

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Operational Excellence

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. strengths

Physical Network DensityBrand TrustSupply Chain ControlScope Economies

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostSuite BundlingCompliance AdvantageTwo Sided NetworkSwitching Costs General

Segment mix

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. segments

Full profile >

Merchandise and services (in-store convenience retail)

Competitive

25.2%

Road transportation fuel (retail fuel and related mobility services)

Competitive

74%

Other revenues (ancillary energy and other income streams)

Competitive

0.8%

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. segments

Full profile >

Advisor Platform

Oligopoly

100%

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.