VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Stock Comparison

Caterpillar Inc. vs Interactive Brokers Group, Inc.

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

Caterpillar Inc.

CAT · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$288.6B
Gross margin (TTM)33.9%
Operating margin (TTM)17.7%
Net margin (TTM)14.3%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryAgricultural - Machinery
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-25
Moat score
68/ 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 Caterpillar Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CAT analysis

Interactive Brokers Group, Inc.

IBKR · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$123.6B
Gross margin (TTM)89%
Operating margin (TTM)82.7%
Net margin (TTM)9.2%
SectorFinancials
IndustryInvestment - Banking & Investment Services
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
60/ 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 Interactive Brokers Group, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View IBKR analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Caterpillar Inc. leads (68 / 100 vs 60 / 100 for Interactive Brokers Group, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Caterpillar Inc. has 5 segments (40.7% in Energy & Transportation); Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. has 1 segment (100% in Electronic brokerage).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Weak.
  • Moat breadth: Caterpillar Inc. has 9 moat types across 4 domains; Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. has 4 across 4.

Primary market context

Caterpillar Inc.

Energy & Transportation

Market

Off-highway engines, power generation, turbines, locomotives and related services

Geography

Global

Customer

Energy companies, industrial customers, OEMs, rail and marine operators

Role

OEM + aftermarket parts/service

Revenue share

40.7%

Interactive Brokers Group, Inc.

Electronic brokerage

Market

Multi-asset electronic brokerage, clearing, custody, and financing (self-directed and institutional)

Geography

Global

Customer

Individual investors and institutional clients (e.g., hedge funds, advisors, proprietary trading firms, introducing brokers)

Role

Broker-dealer / clearing broker / platform operator

Revenue share

100%

Side-by-side metrics

Caterpillar Inc.
Interactive Brokers Group, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CAT - New York Stock Exchange
IBKR - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$288.6B
$123.6B
Gross margin (TTM)
33.9%
89%
Operating margin (TTM)
17.7%
82.7%
Net margin (TTM)
14.3%
9.2%
Sector
Industrials
Financials
Industry
Agricultural - Machinery
Investment - Banking & Investment Services
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Energy & Transportation
Electronic brokerage
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Weak
Moat score
68 / 100
60 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Financial, Network
Supply, Network, Legal, Demand
Last update
2025-12-25
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Caterpillar Inc. strengths

Distribution ControlInstalled Base ConsumablesBrand TrustService Field NetworkCapex Knowhow ScaleDesign In QualificationSuite BundlingUnderwriting Risk PoolingEcosystem Complements

Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. strengths

Operational ExcellenceInteroperability HubCompliance AdvantageData Workflow Lockin

Segment mix

Caterpillar Inc. segments

Full profile >

Construction Industries

Oligopoly

35.9%

Resource Industries

Oligopoly

17.5%

Energy & Transportation

Oligopoly

40.7%

Financial Products

Competitive

5.3%

All Other

Competitive

0.6%

Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Electronic brokerage

Competitive

100%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.