VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

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Thursday, January 8, 2026

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Stock Comparison

CME Group Inc. vs KKR & Co. 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

KKR & Co. Inc.

KKR · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$119.9B
Gross margin (TTM)19.5%
Operating margin (TTM)2.6%
Net margin (TTM)14.1%
SectorFinancials
IndustryAsset Management
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-06
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 KKR & Co. Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View KKR analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: CME Group Inc. leads (81 / 100 vs 67 / 100 for KKR & Co. Inc.).
  • Segment focus: CME Group Inc. has 3 segments (81.4% in Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)); KKR & Co. Inc. has 3 segments (52.3% in Asset Management).
  • Moat breadth: CME Group Inc. has 10 moat types across 5 domains; KKR & Co. Inc. has 7 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%

KKR & Co. Inc.

Asset Management

Market

Alternative asset management (private equity, private credit, real assets, and related strategies)

Geography

Global

Customer

Institutional and wealth investors (LPs) allocating to private markets

Role

General partner / investment manager

Revenue share

52.3%

Side-by-side metrics

CME Group Inc.
KKR & Co. Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CME - NASDAQ
KKR - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$99.2B
$119.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
86.1%
19.5%
Operating margin (TTM)
65%
2.6%
Net margin (TTM)
58.6%
14.1%
Sector
Financials
Financials
Industry
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
Asset Management
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Trading and Clearing (Derivatives + Cash Markets Platforms)
Asset Management
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
3.5%-5% (implied)
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, Financial, Legal
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Scale Economies Unit Cost

CME Group Inc. strengths

Two Sided NetworkClearing SettlementConcession LicenseBenchmark Pricing PowerIP Choke PointData Workflow LockinDe Facto StandardDistribution ControlSwitching Costs General

KKR & Co. Inc. strengths

Long Term ContractsBrand TrustDeal sourcing and origination relationshipsFloat PrepaymentCompliance AdvantageCapital markets and exit execution capability

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%

KKR & Co. Inc. segments

Full profile >

Asset Management

Oligopoly

52.3%

Insurance

Competitive

46.5%

Strategic Holdings

Competitive

1.2%

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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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.