VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

American Water Works Company, Inc. vs London Stock Exchange Group plc

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

American Water Works Company, Inc.

AWK · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$25B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorUtilities
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-09
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 American Water Works Company, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View AWK analysis

London Stock Exchange Group plc

LSEG · London Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$45.5B
Gross margin (TTM)51.5%
Operating margin (TTM)19.6%
Net margin (TTM)9.4%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Data & Stock Exchanges
CountryGB
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
74/ 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 London Stock Exchange Group plc's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View LSEG analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: American Water Works Company, Inc. leads (79 / 100 vs 74 / 100 for London Stock Exchange Group plc).
  • Segment focus: American Water Works Company, Inc. has 2 segments (91.7% in Regulated Businesses); London Stock Exchange Group plc has 5 segments (51% in Data & Analytics).
  • Primary market structure: Monopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: American Water Works Company, Inc. has 8 moat types across 3 domains; London Stock Exchange Group plc has 8 across 4.

Primary market context

American Water Works Company, Inc.

Regulated Businesses

Market

Regulated water and wastewater utility service in certificated/franchised territories

Geography

United States (14-state footprint)

Customer

Residential, commercial, industrial, public authority, fire service, and sale-for-resale customers

Role

Regulated utility owner/operator (water & wastewater)

Revenue share

91.7%

London Stock Exchange Group plc

Data & Analytics

Market

Financial market data, analytics and workflows (terminals and enterprise feeds)

Geography

Global

Customer

Financial institutions and corporates

Role

Data & analytics vendor

Revenue share

51%

Side-by-side metrics

American Water Works Company, Inc.
London Stock Exchange Group plc
Ticker / Exchange
AWK - New York Stock Exchange
LSEG - London Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$25B
$45.5B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
51.5%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
19.6%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
9.4%
Sector
Utilities
Financials
Industry
n/a
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
HQ country
US
GB
Primary segment
Regulated Businesses
Data & Analytics
Market structure
Monopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
79 / 100
74 / 100
Moat domains
Legal, Supply, Demand
Demand, Supply, Network, Legal
Last update
2026-01-09
2025-12-30

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Concession LicenseCompliance AdvantageScale Economies Unit Cost

American Water Works Company, Inc. strengths

Physical Network DensityPermits Rights Of WayLong Term ContractsGovernment Contracting RelationshipsOperational Excellence

London Stock Exchange Group plc strengths

Data Workflow LockinDe Facto StandardBrand TrustTwo Sided NetworkClearing Settlement

Segment mix

American Water Works Company, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Regulated Businesses

Monopoly

91.7%

Military and Contract Water Services (Other)

Duopoly

8.3%

London Stock Exchange Group plc segments

Full profile >

Data & Analytics

Oligopoly

51%

FTSE Russell

Oligopoly

10.7%

Risk Intelligence

Oligopoly

6.2%

Capital Markets

Oligopoly

21.3%

Post Trade

Quasi-Monopoly

10.8%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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

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Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

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

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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.