VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

Stock Comparison

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. vs Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.

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

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

BRK.B · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$1T
Gross margin (TTM)25.1%
Operating margin (TTM)16.1%
Net margin (TTM)19.3%
SectorFinancials
IndustryInsurance - Diversified
CountryUS
Data as of2026-05-27
Moat score
64/ 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 Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View BRK.B analysis

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.

ICE · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$84.4B
Gross margin (TTM)69%
Operating margin (TTM)40.8%
Net margin (TTM)30%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Data & Stock Exchanges
CountryUS
Data as of2026-05-26
Moat score
91/ 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 Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ICE analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. leads (91 / 100 vs 64 / 100 for Berkshire Hathaway Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has 11 segments (28.3% in Insurance (underwriting + investment income)); Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. has 4 segments (46.2% in Exchange transaction and clearing).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: n/a vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has 17 moat types across 4 domains; Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. has 8 across 4.

Primary market context

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

Insurance (underwriting + investment income)

Market

Insurance and reinsurance (property and casualty + life/health), including float-funded investing

Geography

Global

Customer

Consumers and businesses (policyholders) and insurers (reinsurance cedents)

Role

Underwriter and reinsurer plus investment manager of float

Revenue share

28.3%

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.

Exchange transaction and clearing

Market

Global regulated derivatives, cash equities, equity options, OTC energy trading and clearing venues

Geography

Global, with major venues and clearing houses in the U.S., U.K., EU, Canada, Asia Pacific and the Middle East

Customer

Financial institutions, asset managers, market makers, hedgers, corporates, energy firms and brokers

Role

Regulated exchange operator, execution venue and central counterparty clearing infrastructure

Revenue share

46.2%

Side-by-side metrics

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
BRK.B - New York Stock Exchange
ICE - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$1T
$84.4B
Gross margin (TTM)
25.1%
69%
Operating margin (TTM)
16.1%
40.8%
Net margin (TTM)
19.3%
30%
Sector
Financials
Financials
Industry
Insurance - Diversified
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Insurance (underwriting + investment income)
Exchange transaction and clearing
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
19.8%-20.1% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
n/a
Strong
Moat score
64 / 100
91 / 100
Moat domains
Financial, Supply, Demand, Legal
Network, Financial, Demand, Supply
Last update
2026-05-27
2026-05-26

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustScope Economies

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. strengths

Float PrepaymentCapacity MoatPhysical Network DensityLong Term ContractsConcession LicensePermits Rights Of WayDesign In QualificationCapex Knowhow ScaleIP Choke PointScale Economies Unit CostDistribution ControlTraining Org Change CostsPreferential Input AccessService Field NetworkCost Of Capital Advantage

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. strengths

Two Sided NetworkBenchmark Pricing PowerClearing SettlementData Workflow LockinEcosystem ComplementsData Network Effects

Segment mix

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. segments

Full profile >

Insurance (underwriting + investment income)

Competitive

28.3%

BNSF Railway (freight rail transportation)

Oligopoly

6.4%

Berkshire Hathaway Energy (regulated utilities, pipelines, renewables)

Monopoly

7.1%

Industrial products manufacturing (PCC, Lubrizol, IMC, Marmon, etc.)

Oligopoly

10.1%

Building products & housing (Clayton Homes, Shaw, Johns Manville, Benjamin Moore, etc.)

Competitive

7.3%

Consumer products manufacturing (Duracell, Forest River, apparel/footwear, toys, etc.)

Competitive

3.9%

Service businesses (FlightSafety, NetJets, TTI, Dairy Queen, etc.)

Competitive

6.2%

Retailing businesses (Berkshire Hathaway Automotive, home furnishings, jewelry, See's, etc.)

Competitive

5.3%

Pilot Travel Centers (travel centers + wholesale fuel marketing)

Oligopoly

11.5%

McLane (wholesale distribution to convenience stores and restaurants)

Oligopoly

13.8%

Holding company capital allocation and investing

Competitive

n/a

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Exchange transaction and clearing

Oligopoly

46.2%

Exchange data, connectivity and listings

Oligopoly

13.6%

Fixed Income and Data Services

Oligopoly

22.1%

Mortgage Technology

Quasi-Monopoly

18.1%

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.

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.