VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

CME Group Inc. vs Graco 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)$99.2B
Gross margin (TTM)86.1%
Operating margin (TTM)65%
Net margin (TTM)58.6%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Data & Stock Exchanges
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

Graco Inc.

GGG · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$13.8B
Gross margin (TTM)52.3%
Operating margin (TTM)26.6%
Net margin (TTM)22.7%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryIndustrial - Machinery
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-05
Moat score
67/ 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 Graco Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View GGG analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: CME Group Inc. leads (81 / 100 vs 67 / 100 for Graco Inc.).
  • Segment focus: CME Group Inc. has 3 segments (81.4% in Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)); Graco Inc. has 3 segments (49.4% in Contractor).
  • Moat breadth: CME Group Inc. has 10 moat types across 5 domains; Graco Inc. has 7 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%

Graco Inc.

Contractor

Market

Professional and prosumer paint/coatings application equipment (airless sprayers, texture sprayers, line stripers, plural-component proportioners)

Geography

Global

Customer

Professional contractors and trades; DIY consumers via retail channels

Role

Equipment OEM / brand owner

Revenue share

49.4%

Side-by-side metrics

CME Group Inc.
Graco Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CME - NASDAQ
GGG - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$99.2B
$13.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
86.1%
52.3%
Operating margin (TTM)
65%
26.6%
Net margin (TTM)
58.6%
22.7%
Sector
Financials
Industrials
Industry
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
Industrial - Machinery
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)
Contractor
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
81 / 100
67 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Legal, Supply, Financial, Demand
Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-05

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Distribution Control

CME Group Inc. strengths

Two Sided NetworkClearing SettlementConcession LicenseScale Economies Unit CostBenchmark Pricing PowerIP Choke PointData Workflow LockinDe Facto StandardSwitching Costs General

Graco Inc. strengths

Brand TrustOperational ExcellenceService Field NetworkDesign In QualificationInstalled Base ConsumablesScope 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%

Graco Inc. segments

Full profile >

Contractor

Oligopoly

49.4%

Industrial

Oligopoly

43.1%

Expansion Markets

Competitive

7.5%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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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.