VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

CME Group Inc. vs Ferguson Enterprises Inc.

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

CME Group Inc.

CME · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)86.1%
Operating margin (TTM)65%
Net margin (TTM)58.6%
SectorFinancials
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
81/ 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 CME Group Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CME analysis

Ferguson Enterprises Inc.

FERG · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$44.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorIndustrials
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-01
Moat score
72/ 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 Ferguson Enterprises Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View FERG analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: CME Group Inc. leads (81 / 100 vs 72 / 100 for Ferguson Enterprises Inc.).
  • Segment focus: CME Group Inc. has 3 segments (81.4% in Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)); Ferguson Enterprises Inc. has 2 segments (95.1% in United States).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: CME Group Inc. has 10 moat types across 5 domains; Ferguson Enterprises Inc. has 4 across 2.

Primary market context

CME Group Inc.

Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)

Market

Exchange-traded derivatives (futures and options) trading and central counterparty clearing; plus electronic cash markets matching (U.S. Treasuries/repo, spot FX) tied to CME platforms

Geography

Global (core U.S. footprint with international participation)

Customer

Institutional and professional traders; commercial hedgers; banks; broker-dealers; futures commission merchants (FCMs); asset managers; proprietary trading firms; governments and central banks

Role

Market operator (exchange/venue) + central counterparty clearing provider

Revenue share

81.4%

Ferguson Enterprises Inc.

United States

Market

Value-added distribution of plumbing, HVAC, PVF, waterworks and related products/services

Geography

United States

Customer

Residential and non-residential professional trade customers (contractors/builders) plus industrial and infrastructure customers

Role

Value-added distributor (B2B)

Revenue share

95.1%

Side-by-side metrics

CME Group Inc.
Ferguson Enterprises Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CME - NASDAQ
FERG - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
n/a
$44.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
86.1%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
65%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
58.6%
n/a
Sector
Financials
Industrials
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)
United States
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
81 / 100
72 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Legal, Supply, Financial, Demand
Supply, Demand
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-01

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Scale Economies Unit CostData Workflow Lockin

CME Group Inc. strengths

Two Sided NetworkClearing SettlementConcession LicenseBenchmark Pricing PowerIP Choke PointDe Facto StandardDistribution ControlSwitching Costs General

Ferguson Enterprises Inc. strengths

Physical Network DensityScope Economies

Segment mix

CME Group Inc. segments

Full profile >

Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)

Oligopoly

81.4%

Market Data and Information Services

Monopoly

11.6%

Access, Connectivity and Other Exchange Services

Monopoly

7%

Ferguson Enterprises Inc. segments

Full profile >

United States

Competitive

95.1%

Canada

Competitive

4.9%

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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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.