VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Brown & Brown, Inc. vs CoStar Group, Inc.

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

Brown & Brown, Inc.

BRO · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$27.5B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorFinancials
IndustryInsurance - Brokers
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-09
Moat score
61/ 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 Brown & Brown, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View BRO analysis

CoStar Group, Inc.

CSGP · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$24.8B
Gross margin (TTM)79.3%
Operating margin (TTM)-2.7%
Net margin (TTM)0.7%
SectorReal Estate
IndustryReal Estate - Services
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-29
Moat score
75/ 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 CoStar Group, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CSGP analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: CoStar Group, Inc. leads (75 / 100 vs 61 / 100 for Brown & Brown, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Brown & Brown, Inc. has 2 segments (59% in Retail); CoStar Group, Inc. has 6 segments (39% in Multifamily (Apartments.com Network)).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Brown & Brown, Inc. has 5 moat types across 3 domains; CoStar Group, Inc. has 9 across 4.

Primary market context

Brown & Brown, Inc.

Retail

Market

Retail insurance brokerage and agency services (commercial P&C, employee benefits, personal lines) plus dealer F&I risk-mitigating products

Geography

Primarily United States; also selected international operations

Customer

Commercial (SMB to mid-market), public/quasi-public entities, professional and individual insured customers; auto/RV dealers for F&I

Role

Insurance intermediary (agent/broker) and risk solutions advisor

Revenue share

59%

CoStar Group, Inc.

Multifamily (Apartments.com Network)

Market

Online multifamily rental marketplaces and advertising

Geography

United States

Customer

Two-sided (renters + property managers/owners)

Role

Marketplace (subscription advertising + workflow tools)

Revenue share

39%

Side-by-side metrics

Brown & Brown, Inc.
CoStar Group, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
BRO - New York Stock Exchange
CSGP - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$27.5B
$24.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
79.3%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
-2.7%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
0.7%
Sector
Financials
Real Estate
Industry
Insurance - Brokers
Real Estate - Services
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Retail
Multifamily (Apartments.com Network)
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
61 / 100
75 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal
Supply, Network, Demand, Legal
Last update
2026-01-09
2025-12-29

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand Trust

Brown & Brown, Inc. strengths

Procurement InertiaScale Economies Unit CostContractual ExclusivityPreferential Input Access

CoStar Group, Inc. strengths

Capex Knowhow ScaleData Network EffectsData Workflow LockinDe Facto StandardIP Choke PointTwo Sided NetworkSuite BundlingEcosystem Complements

Segment mix

Brown & Brown, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Retail

Competitive

59%

Specialty Distribution

Oligopoly

41%

CoStar Group, Inc. segments

Full profile >

CoStar (commercial real estate info & analytics)

Oligopoly

37.3%

Information Services (lease management software + international info)

Competitive

5%

Multifamily (Apartments.com Network)

Oligopoly

39%

LoopNet (commercial property marketing marketplace)

Oligopoly

10.3%

Residential (Homes.com + OnTheMarket)

Oligopoly

3.7%

Other Marketplaces (Ten-X, Land.com, BizBuySell, etc.)

Competitive

4.8%

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.