VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

American Express Company vs LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

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

American Express Company

AXP · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)
SectorFinancials
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
52/ 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 Express Company's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View AXP analysis

LPL Financial Holdings Inc.

LPLA · Nasdaq

Market cap (USD)$29.9B
SectorFinancials
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 52 / 100 for American Express Company).
  • Segment focus: American Express Company has 4 segments (47.5% in U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)); LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Advisor Platform).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: n/a vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: American Express Company has 8 moat types across 3 domains; LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has 6 across 4.

Primary market context

American Express Company

U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)

Market

U.S. premium consumer card issuing (charge and credit) and attached consumer banking and financing

Geography

United States

Customer

Consumers

Role

Issuer (proprietary cards) and consumer lender/services

Revenue share

47.5%

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

American Express Company
LPL Financial Holdings Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
AXP - New York Stock Exchange
LPLA - Nasdaq
Market cap (USD)
n/a
$29.9B
Sector
Financials
Financials
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)
Advisor Platform
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
23%-25% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
n/a
Moderate
Moat score
52 / 100
79 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Financial, Network
Supply, Demand, Legal, Network
Last update
2025-12-30
2025-12-26

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Switching Costs GeneralTwo Sided Network

American Express Company strengths

Brand TrustLong Term ContractsCost Of Capital AdvantageTraining Org Change CostsEcosystem ComplementsData Network Effects

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostSuite BundlingOperational ExcellenceCompliance Advantage

Segment mix

American Express Company segments

Full profile >

U.S. Consumer Services (USCS)

Competitive

47.5%

Commercial Services (CS)

Competitive

23.9%

International Card Services (ICS)

Competitive

17.3%

Global Merchant and Network Services (GMNS)

Oligopoly

11.3%

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. segments

Full profile >

Advisor Platform

Oligopoly

100%

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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.