VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Stock Comparison

CME Group Inc. vs Alphabet 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)
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

Alphabet Inc.

GOOGL · The Nasdaq Stock Market

Market cap (USD)$3.7T
SectorCommunication Services
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-21
Moat score
86/ 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 Alphabet Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View GOOGL analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Alphabet Inc. leads (86 / 100 vs 81 / 100 for CME Group Inc.).
  • Segment focus: CME Group Inc. has 3 segments (81.4% in Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)); Alphabet Inc. has 6 segments (56.6% in Google Search & other (Advertising)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Quasi-Monopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: CME Group Inc. has 10 moat types across 5 domains; Alphabet Inc. has 10 across 4.

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%

Alphabet Inc.

Google Search & other (Advertising)

Market

Search advertising (intent-based digital ads)

Geography

Global

Customer

Advertisers (SMB to enterprise)

Role

Ad platform / publisher

Revenue share

56.6%

Side-by-side metrics

CME Group Inc.
Alphabet Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CME - NASDAQ
GOOGL - The Nasdaq Stock Market
Market cap (USD)
n/a
$3.7T
Sector
Financials
Communication Services
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)
Google Search & other (Advertising)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Quasi-Monopoly
Market share
n/a
88%-91% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
8,115
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
81 / 100
86 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Legal, Supply, Financial, Demand
Network, Demand, Legal, Supply
Last update
2025-12-30
2025-12-21

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Two Sided NetworkSwitching Costs General

CME Group Inc. strengths

Clearing SettlementConcession LicenseScale Economies Unit CostBenchmark Pricing PowerIP Choke PointData Workflow LockinDe Facto StandardDistribution Control

Alphabet Inc. strengths

Data Network EffectsHabit DefaultContent Rights CurrencyOperational ExcellenceDefault OS GatewayCapex Knowhow ScaleEcosystem ComplementsIncubation & patient capital

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%

Alphabet Inc. segments

Full profile >

Google Search & other (Advertising)

Quasi-Monopoly

56.6%

YouTube (Advertising)

Oligopoly

10.3%

Google Network (Advertising)

Competitive

8.7%

Google Subscriptions, Platforms & Devices

Quasi-Monopoly

11.5%

Google Cloud

Oligopoly

12.4%

Other Bets

Competitive

0.5%

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.